One Last Objection!
by 801tman
Summary: It's still not over. The fight to bring Stephen to justice is still going. Thankfully, with the return of Athena, Phoenix thinks he has gained the upper hand, until another group throws itself into the picture. The last book in the "Objection!" trilogy
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to the beginning of the final story of the "Objection!" trilogy. Hope you enjoy it.

Apollo looked at the clock, his knee shaking. "It's been an hour since Mr. Wright went to the airport."

Pearl walked into Apollo's office. "Mr. Nick isn't here yet?"

"Nope, not yet."

When Apollo woke up, who usually beats everyone to awaken, found a note from Phoenix that merely stated that he was going to the airport. Apollo leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what he's doing though. Not even Maya knows."

It had been two weeks since Stephen was defeated in court, but managed to escape. Since then, they still had yet to get another case.

Soon, Apollo saw a taxi drive up to the office. "Ah, that must be him."

Soon, the entrance door to the office opened, and Phoenix stepped inside. "Mr. Wright, why were—"

Apollo's voice stopped in his throat. Right behind Phoenix, Athena walked into the office. "Athena!"

"Yo Apollo! Long time no see!"

Widget repeated what Athena said. Apollo patted Athena on the back. "I didn't think you would be back from your trip so soon."

"Well, it just didn't take as long as I thought it would take. I called Phoenix last night telling him that I would be back today."

Phoenix chuckled. "It would have been better if you would have given me a little more warning."

Maya walked into the room. "Hello, I believe we haven't met."

Athena smiled and stuck out her hand. "My name is Athena, Athena Cykes."

"Maya, Maya Fey."

"You mean THE Maya Fey? Phoenix's girlfriend!?"

Maya smiled. "I guess he already told you."

"He wouldn't stop gushing about you."

Phoenix scratched his head. "Well…let's just move on to another topic. Besides, Athena didn't come back early because she wanted to, it's because I asked her to."

Apollo looked at Phoenix. "Why did you call her back?"

"I told her about what happened recently, with Stephen, and she agreed that she would come back to help us capture him. It's only a matter of time before he does something. I needed everyone I could get to stop him."

Apollo shook his head. "Good thinking."

While everyone got reacquainted with Athena, Phoenix took out his phone. Looking at the screen, he pressed the voicemail and put the phone to his ear, to rehear the message.

"Hey, is this Phoenix Wright? My name is Carol Perkins. I was wondering if you would be willing to defend me in court over a murder charge I didn't commit. Please help me!"

Phoenix sighed. _After what Stephen told me when he drugged me…I'm not sure what to expect…_

Sighing, Phoenix entered his office, picked up his briefcase, and went to the entrance, where everyone still were at. "I'm going to go meet a new client who called me yesterday. I'll be—"

Athena interrupted Phoenix. "I'm coming with you."

"Athena, you just got back. You need to—"

"I haven't been on a case in SO long! I need some more action!"

Widget piped in as well. "So bored."

Phoenix smirked. "Fine, you can come along."

Athena smiled. "Finally! Something to do!"

"If you had nothing to do, then why did you need a trip overseas?"

"Eh…you'll see."

Phoenix shook his head and left the office. "We'll be back!"

As Phoenix and Athena left the office, Athena asked Phoenix. "So what happened to the people who threw a brick into the office?"

"Haven't heard from them since. Maybe they calmed down. I just don't know what happened to them."

Athena shook her head. "I hope you're right. That's the last thing we need to deal with."

Widget butted it. "Stupid jerks!"

Phoenix chuckled. "I wouldn't worry too much about them. We have a bigger task at hand."

Athena punched her fist to her other hand. "You got it boss!"

Soon, Phoenix and Athena were at the detention center. After Phoenix went to the guard, he was escorted into the meeting room. Soon, an elderly female was escorted into the room. "Are you Phoenix Wright?"

"I am. You must be Carol Perkins, correct?"

"Yes I am. I'm glad you at least came to hear me out."

"No problem Mrs. Perkins. Could you tell us more about the murder charge?"

"Yes. I was at my house two nights ago with George, my husband. He told me he was going to go take out the garbage. I didn't think anything of it and just shook my head. He left the house with a garbage bag and never came back in. George was friendly with all of our neighbors, so I just thought he was in the middle of a conversation with one of them. After about half an hour, I went outside to check up on him, only to find him on the ground, blood pooled around him. I immediately called the police, and once they arrived, promptly arrested me with murder."

"Did they have any proof you murdered your husband?"

"They said they did. Although, they didn't tell me what they had."

"Hmmm…what was the address of your house? I'll go and investigate."

"So you'll take my case?!"

"Yes I will."

"Oh, thank you Mr. Wright! Okay, my house is just a few blocks away from the detention center." Carol told Phoenix the address. "Alright then, I'll be on my way."

"Thank you Mr. Wright! Please find the person who killed my dear George!"

Phoenix shook his head. "You can count on it!"

Phoenix and Athena left the detention center. Athena was silent as they walked to the address. "You alright Athena?"

"It's just that…I sensed some discord in her voice. There is an inconsistency between what she said and what is in her heart."

Phoenix chuckled. "It's good to have you back Athena. I'll just have to prove it during the trial."

Athena shook her head. "I'll be there to help you."

Soon, they arrived at the house. "This is the address."

Athena chuckled. "You can't miss it. After all, it's the only house that's crawling with police officers."

Phoenix shook his head. "No need to point out the obvious."

Phoenix approached the yellow tape. An officer soon approached him. "Phoenix Wright, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to investigate the crime scene for my client."

"YOU'RE the one defending her?"

"Yes I am."

The officer shook his head. "Alright then. You may investigate, but don't interfere with our investigation."

Phoenix chuckled. "Have I EVER done that?"

"More than once."

Phoenix smirked and ducked under the tape. "By the looks of things, it looks like the body was here."

Phoenix was staring at a dark stain on the concrete. The officer butted in. "The body was found there." He handed Phoenix an envelope. "Here's the autopsy report."

"Thank you sir." Opening it, Phoenix read the lines. "Stabbed once with an unknown knife. Pierced his heart and bled to death."

Phoenix looked at the officer. "You guys haven't found the murder weapon?"

"No we haven't. We believe the murderer took the knife with him."

_That takes away the possibility of finding the killer with the murder weapon…_

Phoenix walked up to the stain. "So there was nothing else found here?"

"Yep. No traces of the murderer. Only the body."

"So what gave you the right to arrest my client?"

"We didn't find anything here…but there was a warning the police received two days ago."

"Warning?"

"The warning stated that your client was going to kill someone. Though the warning didn't go into detail, once we heard what had happened, we arrested her. Not only that, the person who gave us the warning has come out and agreed to testify during the trial tomorrow."

"So that's your trump card huh? A single witness?"

"Better than what you have, absolutely nothing."

_He's correct. There's absolutely nothing here of value except for the stain. Better take a photo of it._

Phoenix took out a camera and snapped a picture. "Who's going to be the prosecutor tomorrow?"

"Theodora Lawson."

_..! That's the prosecutor during Stephen's first trial…_

"Thank you officer. I have some paperwork to file for tomorrow's trial. I'll be leaving now."

The officer shook his head. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thank you."

As Athena and Phoenix left, Athena looked at Phoenix. "So what's the plan tomorrow boss?"

"Well, we'll have to question the person who sent the warning. However, I also need to be able to get our client to the stand. I need to know the difference between her testimony, and the memories of her heart. If there's nothing there in both instances, we basically lost the trial."

"High stakes then…oh it's good to be back."

And that ends the first chapter of "One Last Objection!" I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	2. Chapter 2

Should have done this in the first chapter but it slipped my mind. If you haven't read "Objection!" or "The Continuous Objection" do so now! You won't understand this story at all if you haven't read those.

Phoenix woke up from an eventful night, tired and groggy. _I shouldn't have eaten the next slice of pizza…_ Getting off the couch, Phoenix trudged his way toward the bathroom and started taking a shower. Once finished, he gussied up his hair and walked out of the bathroom, to smell pancakes and bacon being cooked. The person behind the smell: Maya Fey.

"You're up early."

"I knew your trial was today, so I set the alarm to wake me up earlier."

Phoenix walked up to Maya gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and sat down at the table. "So when am I going to get my bed back?"

Maya giggled. "I don't know, maybe within a few months."

Phoenix sighed and shook his head. Soon, pancakes and bacon were on a plate, and in front of Phoenix. "So are you coming to the trial today?"

"Probably not. I promised Pearly I'd go shopping with her and Trucy today. I don't know how long your trial is going to last, so I figured that I would just skip it and go shopping."

Phoenix shook his head. "Alright then. Just be sure that Trucy doesn't put anything in her magic panties. She's been having difficulty getting things OUT of it recently."

Maya giggled. "Alright, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for that."

As Phoenix continued to eat, Athena walked into the kitchen. "I knew someone was making breakfast. Have some ready for me?"

Maya shook her head. "In about a minute."

Athena shook her head. "Alright then." She sat down next to Phoenix. "So boss, you feel ready for this trial?"

"I would feel better about it if you didn't force me to eat the last piece of pizza last night."

"Come on! You were being a fuddy duddy. I had to perk up my return party."

Phoenix shook his head. "I guess I'm the fuddy duddy now."

Widget chimed in. "Lame!"

Soon, both Athena and Phoenix had eaten their breakfasts. Maya was still making pancakes. "Good luck with the trial Nick!"

Phoenix gave Maya a nod and left the office, Athena close on his heels. Soon, he was in the defendant's lobby, waiting for Carol to be escorted into the room. Within a few minutes, she was standing right next to Phoenix. "Are you feeling good about the trial today Mr. Wright?"

"To be frank, this is going to be a tough case. Not much evidence, and the evidence we do have points to you. Our only hope is the testimony we're given today."

Carol sighed. "So you think I'm guilty too…"

"If I thought that, I would rather had stayed home."

Carol smiled slightly. "Thank you Mr. Wright…"

"Don't mention it."

Athena stared at Carol, long-faced. Soon, the bailiff came and entered the lobby. "Mr. Wright, the trial is about to begin. I think you know the drill by now."

Phoenix chuckled and looked at Athena. "Let's go Athena!"

As they entered the courtroom, Athena looked at Phoenix. "She's hiding something boss. I sensed even more discord in her voice just now."

"Even more than before?"

"Yes. Something happened between when we saw her and now. She's hiding something…something big."

Phoenix sighed. "Believe in your client until the very end. Remember that Athena."

Athena shook her head. "Right boss!"

Widget spoke as well. "Let's do this!"

Soon, the judge entered the courtroom and banged his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Carol Perkins."

"The defense is ready, your honor."

"The prosecution is also ready, your honor."

"Very well. Ms. Lawson, your opening statement please."

"Two nights ago, George Perkins was relaxing with his wife, Carol, when he needed to take out the trash. Around thirty minutes later, he was stabbed in the heart with an unknown knife."

The judge shook his head. "This may seem trivial, but even I don't take thirty minutes to take out the trash."

"The victim was in a conversation with one of the neighbors before he was murdered."

The judge shook his head. "I see. And I suppose you want to bring the detective in charge to the stands?"

"You are correct, your honor."

"Very well. You may call your witness."

"The prosecution calls Detective Ema Skye to the stand."

Ema walked up to the podium and munched on her snackoos. "Name and occupation witness."

"Ema Skye." *crunch* "I'm a detective for the local precinct."

"Ema Skye, please tell the court the details of the case."

"Sure *crunch* thing."

Theodora slammed on her desk. "And stop snacking while you're testifying!"

"The victim was found by the defendant around six thirty. When we arrived, we were told by the chief of police to immediately arrest her. Not only was she the only person who could have killed him, but we had a warning too."

The judge furrowed his eyebrows. "I suppose all these questions I have will be answered when Mr. Wright cross-examines you. So without further ado, your cross-examination Mr. Wright."

Phoenix looked at Athena, who shook her head. "No discord at all."

_So she truly believes these facts then…_

"Very well, your honor."

"The victim was found by the defendant around six thirty—"

"Hold it! So that means the time of death was around then?"

"Yes. The estimated time of death is six twenty-five, a perfect time-frame for a killer to 'discover' a body and call the police."

"Was there anyone else there who can confirm that my client discovered the body?"

"Nope. No one was out during that time."

_That rules out the neighbors…for now._

"When we arrived, we were told by the chief of police to immediately arrest her—"

"Hold it! So the chief gave you the orders to arrest my client?"

"Yup. He specifically told me to arrest her on the spot. He also said I wouldn't be breaking the law since we already had reason for the arrest."

_The warning…_

The judge banged his gavel. "Please continue."

"Not only was she the only person who could have killed him, but we had a warning too—"

"Hold it! A couple questions here. First, how was my client the only person who could have killed the victim?"

"She was the only person in the vicinity at the time. The neighbor had already gone inside his own house."

"But why would he stay outside that long AFTER the neighbor left?"

"Probably because he met his wife on the steps…ready for the kill."

"OBJECTION! Facts only Ms. Skye. What you say is only conjecture."

Ema sighed. "Fine, sure thing."

_She seems different today…_

"Next question. Although I already know this, but for the knowledge of the court, what was this warning?"

"We received a warning a few days before the murder stating that one Carol Perkins could kill her husband at any point. When the chief heard about the incident a few days later, he knew that the warning had come true."

"Why didn't you guys act on the warning beforehand?"

"We had no proof that she was planning on committing any wrong doing. Thus, we were helpless to stop her."

The judge banged his gavel. "It seems that we have a firm foundation to base this case on."

Theodora shook her head. "That was the goal. Now, I have managed to get the person who gave the police the warning to testify. I wish to call her as a witness."

"You may call your witness."

"The prosecution calls Suzie Collmenter to the stand."

An elderly woman entered the courtroom and gingerly made her way to the stand. "Name and occupation witness."

"My name is Suzie Collmenter. I'm retired."

"Suzie, you gave the police a warning, telling them of the atrocities that Carol Perkins was about to commit. Please testify to the court why you believe this to be true."

"Okay, will do."

_This is it. Already put into the corner. If I don't find anything here, the case could crumble before me like parmesan cheese…_

And that's the chapter. I must apologize for the LATE update, but I've had college work that kept me busy. Thankfully, with my Spring Break coming up next week, more updates should be coming as well. Thank you for reading and don't forget to review.


	3. Chapter 3

"A couple days before the murder, I overheard Carol talking to someone on the phone telling them that she wouldn't mind him out of her life. After a pause, she continued saying that she would pay money for that to happen."

The judge shook his head. "So the defendant hired someone to kill the victim. Mr. Wright, your cross-examination please."

Athena looked at Phoenix. "You got this boss!"

"Leave it to me."

"A couple days before the murder, I overheard Carol talking to someone on the phone—"

"Hold it! Do you know who she was talking to?"

"No…I didn't catch any names."

"Do you even know what gender?"

"If I did, I would tell the court!"

_You'd be surprised how many facts are "forgotten" witness…_

"She told them that she wouldn't mind him out of her life—"

"Hold it! 'Them?' Who's 'them'?

"The person on the phone."

"Then why would you say 'them'? That means that there was more than one person."

"Alright grammar Nazi, she told the person on the phone that she wouldn't mind him out of her life!"

Phoenix smirked and was about to go on when Athena held out her hand. "Boss…I picked up some discord in her voice."

"So she's not remembering everything?"

"I don't know…it seems that she's intentionally hiding something…but the discord reveals that she is hiding something."

"Can you do a session with her then?"

"Sure thing boss!"

Athena slammed on the desk. "Your honor, the defense requests that we give the witness a session with Widget!"

The judge looked surprised, but nodded his head. "Alright then, you may use your psychology on the witness."

"OBJECTION!" Theodora shook her head. "Your honor, I question the validity of such methods."

"But Ms. Lawson, I have seen several times that—"

"It has no sound proof. Remember? Evidence is everything in the court of law."

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed on his desk. "You want evidence that this works? Look at the criminals that are behind bars because of this method!"

"I'll admit it is an intriguing method, but it's still in its…infancy. There are bound to be mistakes at some point, and I refuse have that first mistake be made on my watch. However, I will allow its usage for the remainder of the trial…under one condition."

"What condition?"

"It seems you think that the witness is hiding something. Prove it then, using the traditional means to do so. If you succeed, I'll allow you to use that unorthodox method. If not, I won't allow it. It is MY witness after all. I am here to protect her interests as well. Do we have a deal, Mr. Wright?"

_She thinks we won't find a hole in her testimony…that's why she even came up with this deal to begin with. However, I have too much to lose if I fail this cross-examination._

"I accept your terms…if I add one of my own."

"What is it?"

"Even if I can't find something the first round through, I am to be allowed to question her once more, instead of ending the cross-examination."

Theodora shook her head. "Alright then. You get two chances. Don't mess up now."

_I better find something quick…or this trial will be over._

Theodora looked at Suzie. "Mrs. Collmenter, you may continue."

"After a pause, she continued saying that she would pay money for that to happen—"

"Hold it! Did she say when to kill this 'him'?"

"Yup, she told him to do it on the day of the murder."

_Way to hide a critical fact…_

"Did you mention this to police?"

"Ah…no…not really. I figured that it was unnecessary information."

"Unnecessary information?! How do you consider that unnecessary information?!"

"It just is, okay!?"

Phoenix looked at the judge. "Your honor, I request that this statement be added to her testimony."

"Very well. Witness, you will add this information to your testimony."

"Yes sir."

"She told the man on the phone to kill him on the day of the murder—"

"Hold it! How do you know that it was a man?"

"What?"

"Before, when I questioned you about your use of the word 'them,' you basically stated that it was a grammatical mistake. However, you yourself didn't hear any names mentioned. How do you know that the person on the other end was, in fact, a 'him'?"

"Uh…"

"Since I have to be traditional here, I must tell you this. We only want facts. Anything that is of your own opinion is to remain to yourself."

"Quiet you whippersnapper! It was a generic use. When I said 'he' I was meaning a generic word. I don't know if it was a he or a she. Happy now?!"

Phoenix shook his head. _This is one grumpy witness._

"Alright then…back from the top. Please repeat your testimony once more."

"A couple days before the murder, I overheard Carol talking to someone on the phone—"

"Hold it! I forgot to ask this before. What type of phone was it?"

"What type? A phone."

Phoenix sighed. "No, was it a cell phone or a cord phone?"

"It was one of those new fajangled cell phone thingies."

Phoenix looked at the judge. "Your honor, the defense requests that we receive the call history for the defendant's cell phone number."

"Very well. Bailiff, go ask the defendant for her number, then go to the company and ask for the records."

The bailiff jogged to Carol and started speaking to her. "Now then, Mr. Wright, please continue your cross-exam—"

Suddenly, the bailiff jogged back up to the judge and whispered something to his ear. "What?! Are you sure?!"

The bailiff shook his head. The judge banged on his gavel. "Witness, the court expects honest, accurate testimonies, not fables!"

"What do you mean? I am telling the truth!"

The judge shook his head. "Your lies will get you nowhere. Now, to enlighten the rest of the court, the witness has no cell phone. A fact she says the police can confirm. Will Ema Skye please retake the stand?"

Ema walked up to the stand and stood next to Suzie. "Ms. Skye, is it true that the witness has no cell phone?"

"It's true. We looked up any phone records of her, only to find that she only has an old-fashioned corded phone. She has never had a cell phone."

The crowd burst into chatter before the crowd quieted them down. "Witness! What is the meaning of this?"

"I merely misspoke. I meant to say a corded phone."

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed on the desk. "There's no way you could have just misspoke! After all, there's a huge difference between a cell phone and a—"

"I recall you correcting me on my grammar quite often, Mr. Wright. This is another one of those incidents."

_She can't be serious!? Did she plan that all along?! Misspeak so she can get away with a contradiction?!"_

Theodora snickered. "I assume you have evidence to back up your claim that the witness didn't misspeak, right Mr. Wright?"

_This lady…she's a monster when it comes down to being a prosecutor!_

"Your honor, I request that the cross-examination continue."

The judge hesitated, but finally shook his head. "Mr. Wright, please continue with your cross-examination."

_I can't believe she has wormed her way through all of this! I have to find a big hole! And fast!_

And that's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed. I gave myself a long vacation from writing so that is the reason for the delayed update. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the horribly late update! A lot of things are happening in my life and this became a low priority in my life. I'll try to get another chapter up again tomorrow. Also, if my writing contradicts what I've written before, I'm sorry, but it's been a while. So, let's get back to the story.

"I misspoke when describing the type of phones. There's a corded phone out in the patio where Carol was. After she told the person on the phone to kill him, she put her phone back in its cradle and walked inside. Coming back out, she put an envelope of money under the chair and left."

_This is it…the final testimony…I HAVE to find something!_

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Wright, please begin your cross-examination."

_There's something that's bothering me…I'll get as much info as possible before I question her about that…_

"I misspoke when describing the type of phones—"

"Hold it! How is even possible to misspeak over something as obvious as a type of phone?!"

"Well, it's possible because I just did it. I suppose you have proof I didn't misspeak?"

_She's just speaking the lines Theodora fed her…_

"I have no evidence…"

"Good, let's continue."

"There's a corded phone out in the patio where Carol was—"

"Hold it! Are you positive that there's a corded phone there?"

"I am. There's even photographic evidence. Ms. Lawson."

Theodora took out a photo from her briefcase and handed it to the bailiff. "As you can see in the right-hand corner, there's clearly a corded phone. Indisputable evidence the witness merely misspoke."

_Why are they trying to write off her making a mistake like that? Am I missing something?_

Phoenix slammed his desk. "Your honor, I request more information of this corded phone. It could be key to the case."

"Well…okay then. Bailiff, contact the police and get Mr. Wright the information he needs."

The bailiff jogged out of the room. The judge cleared his throat. "Now, you may continue witness."

"After she told the person on the phone to kill him, she put her phone back in its cradle and walked inside—"

"Hold it! Is that all she spoke to the person?"

"Well…I don't think so. My hearing isn't as good as it once was so I'm not sure."

_Someone's using their age too much to their advantage…_

"Coming back out, she put an envelope of money under the chair and left—"

"Hold it! How do you know that the envelope had money in it?"

"When Carol went back inside, I went and investigated what was in the envelope, especially since what I had just heard. When I opened the envelope, I saw the money and immediately went to call the police."

"So that was when you gave the warning?"

"Yes."

The judge shook his head. "I see no contradictions here. Do you agree Mr. Wright?"

_I can't agree with him…otherwise he'll just end the cross-examination…and the trial…_

"There is one thing I would like the court to delve into deeper, given the witness's cooperation."

"What's that Mr. Wright?"

"There may still be words left unspoken to the court, like the words my client may have spoken while the witness was…hard of hearing."

"You want to figure out what she said then?"

"Yes, your honor." _If only to buy time._

"OBJECTION!" Theodora slammed her desk. "I know what you're up to Phoenix Wright, but I won't have it. Your honor, what Mr. Wright is requesting cannot be done. We have no recordings of the conversation, and my witness didn't hear anything. The only person who would have known what was said is the defendant herself, and I doubt she'll be cooperative."

"Hmmm…indeed. Mr. Wright, any objections?"

Phoenix opened his mouth to speak when the door to the courtroom opened, revealing the bailiff. "Mr. Wright, I have the documents you requested."

"That was fast. Thank you bailiff."

The bailiff handed Phoenix the files and went back to his post. Phoenix opened the folder and looked at the records. "Hmmm…let's see. Only three calls were ever made by that phone. When was it installed…wait…WHAT?!"

The judge looked at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, what's wrong? Do you have to go to the bathroom?"

"No…your honor…" Phoenix grinned. _I have her now!_ "Witness, let me ask you again, are you SURE you saw my client talking on a CORDED phone?"

"Yes. I remember it clear as day."

Phoenix shook his head. "That's where you are wrong. Ms. Lawson, I'm surprised you didn't catch this in your investigation, since the records were so easily accessible."

"…what is it Mr. Wright?"

"Official documents show that the phone was a new addition to the patio…very new. It was installed on the day of the murder."

"So?"

"Do you remember your witness's first testimony? Also, what she has stated just recently? She claimed that she saw my client on a corded phone a couple days BEFORE the murder!"

Phoenix slammed his desk. "Witness, there was no phone there when you claimed to have seen the phone call!"

Suzie cringed. Theodora leaned forward on her desk. "Witness, did you lie to me this whole time!?"

"N—no I didn't! There must be some mistake!"

Phoenix smirked. "Maybe it was another case of you misspeaking?"

Suzie glared at Phoenix. "Your honor, it's now time the prosecution hold up its end of the bargain. I found a hold in her testimony using orthodox means. Now, I request we hold a therapy session for our witness. Is that okay with you Ms. Lawson?"

"…you may proceed."

Athena put her fist in her hand. "Alright! Here we go!"

Athena picked up Widget and began the sequence to begin the mood matrix. "You remember what to do Mr. Wright?"

"Yup. Let's begin."

The mood matrix appeared in front of Phoenix. "A couple days before the murder, I saw Carol talking on a phone in the patio."

_Hmm…only shock appears on this statement. Nothing wrong with that I suppose._

"She told the man on the phone that she wanted him to kill her husband."

_Wait…why is there happiness showing here? _"Got it!"

"Mrs. Collmenter, when you stated that Carol told the person on the phone to kill the victim, you felt happy. Care to explain?"

"Wh—what do you mean I was happy?! I was shocked as could be!"

"True, there was plenty of shock in there, but there was an equal amount of happiness. Why would you be happy about a possible murder occurring?"

"I…I…"

"Mrs. Collmenter, let me ask you bluntly…did you kill the victim, George Perkins?!"

And I'll leave the chapter on a cliff hanger. Don't worry, I plan on getting another chapter out tomorrow, so I get my schedule back on track. Thank you all for waiting, and please review, it really helps.


	5. Chapter 5

Well, as promised, here's the second chapter in two days. I hope you enjoy.

"Did you kill George Perkins?"

Suzie looked at the judge. "Y—your honor, t—this is badgering the witness!"

"I think I'll make an exception."

"But you have no concrete proof to even accuse me of this crime! All you have is a device we don't know even works."

The judge banged his gavel. "I have seen it in action many times. It is quite reliable."

Suzie cringed. "I—I didn't kill him!"

Theodora slammed her desk. "Your honor, a moment please. Although I don't condone our witness's behavior with her lies, she does bring up a good point. The defense doesn't have any evidence."

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed on his desk. "Which is precisely why we're going to continue with our therapy session. Athena, if you would."

"On it boss. Just putting in Suzie's statements…looks like we have a lot of anger here."

_Time to figure out what she's angry about._

"I didn't kill George! I'm telling the truth! I saw Carol talking on a phone telling someone that she wouldn't mind him out of her life!"

"Got it!"

"Suzie, it seems you have a lot of anger centered around the victim, George. Care to explain why?"

"That old fool? No explanation is needed. He is just a person who always rubbed me the wrong way."

Theodora slammed on her desk. "Your honor, I'll personally question the witness during a recess. I think we need to regroup."

"I agree. It does seem to be a bit stale right now. Court will adjourn for a ten minute recess." The judge banged his gavel.

Phoenix walked into the defendant's lobby. "That…could have gone better."

Athena stared at the ground. "She's hiding something. I bet it has to do with the victim since she hates him so much…"

"I can answer that."

Phoenix turned and saw Ema walking toward Phoenix with a bag of snackoos in her hand. "I sent in a couple of detectives into the witness's house, after we got a warrant, and we uncovered some interesting things."

"What things?"

"Apparently, the victim had a knack for money, like helping people with taxes and such things. We uncovered a couple of letters from the victim to the witness, saying that he knows that she was evading taxes and would turn her into the police unless she did what he said."

"In other words, the victim was blackmailing the witness?"

"It seems like that is the case. Although we didn't uncover what he told her to do, I assume Suzie didn't take kindly to it."

Ema gave the papers to Phoenix. "Use these papers during the trial. It may be the only thing that can get the truth out of this case, with lack of evidence and such."

"Thanks Ema."

"No problem…" Ema stared off into the distance. "See you around…"

Ema turned and slowly walked away. _What's up with her?_

Phoenix sighed and looked at the papers.

"Suzie, I know what you are doing, evading your taxes. It is a federal crime, and can put you in jail for the rest of your life, since you're so old. Anyways, unless you want me to tell the police about your secret, then do what I say."

"I don't see a signature or anything with this letter."

Phoenix flipped the paper over, and saw writing on the second piece of paper. "Ah, a handwriting analysis report. According to this, the handwriting in this letter belonged to the victim…"

Athena put her fist into her palm. "We got this boss! We now have a motive for her to murder the victim!"

"I wouldn't say that just yet…something feels off here."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember you told me that our client is hiding something?"

"Yes…"

"Maybe this has something to do with it. I'm not sure, but maybe she knew what was going on?"

"Possibly…but why hide it from us? We're trying to save her…"

"As I said, things feel a bit off…"

The bailiff came out of the courtroom and told Phoenix it was about time to start the trial again. "I guess we'll find out what it is soon enough."

The crowd was brought to silence after the judge banged his gavel. "Court is back in session. Ms. Lawson, have you thoroughly regrouped?"

"Yes your honor. I can also say that the witness's credibility is a bit…not what it should be, so I would like to end—"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed on his desk. "Your honor, I know why the witness is lying!"

"Y—you do? Please explain."

"One of the principle things for an attorney to find is a motive. Recently, we had also lacked motive for Suzie to commit the murder. Much as I hate to say it, just having a therapy session doesn't count as hard evidence. During the trial, the lead detective of the case, Ema Skye, got a warrant to search the witness's home, where they found some revealing papers."

Suzie slammed the witness stand. "Mr. Wright! No…please…"

"Sorry Mrs. Collmenter, but it must come out. Apparently, our witness here has been evading her taxes, and the victim know about it, though I don't know how he did. I have a blackmail letter from the victim to the witness, saying he would reveal it unless she did as he said."

Phoenix took out the paper and handed it to the bailiff. "You can read it for yourself your honor."

The judge read the letter and shook his head. "It's as the defense states. However, I have an issue with it. There's no proof that it was from—"

"The victim." Phoenix finished. "I have a handwriting analysis report as well, proving it was from the victim."

"I see, can I see it?"

The bailiff handed the judge and report. Soon, the judge banged his gavel. "The court accepts this as evidence. However, what does this have to do with her lying?"

"Your honor, we have a motive for her to commit a murder. Let me ask you something, what would you rather face, a prolonged jail sentence…or the death penalty?"

"Neither if I had the choice. However, if I had to choose one of those, it would be the prison sentence."

"Exactly. Perjury and murder and completely different charges with completely different punishments. Perjury is just a prison sentence, while murder is the death penalty. To cover up her murder, the witness is lying to the court, choosing the lesser of two evils!"

Suzie gasped and leaned forward. "I would do no such thing!"

"You say that, but you withheld the blackmail letters, you lied to the court about the phone conversation, you have a motive, why lie to the court like this unless you have something bigger to hide?"

"This is all circumstantial! You have no hard evi—"

"Hold it!"

The whole court looked at the entrance to the courtroom, where Ema was standing. "Hold it! Your honor, I have evidence that needs to be submitted to the court!"

"Detective Skye…what do you have for this court?"

"I have the knife used to kill the victim!"

The courtroom burst into chatter, before the judge calmed them. "Y—you do?!"

"Yes. After I spoke with Mr. Wright, the detectives at her house found the knife hidden away in the trash. It was supposed to be picked up today, but it appears the garbage truck was a little late. Anyways, we found traces of the victim's blood on the knife, along with the witness's fingerprints!"

"You…did?!"

The court burst into chatter yet again. Phoenix slammed on his desk. "This is all the evidence we need! We have the murder weapon and the motive. You're finished Suzie!"

"I didn't kill him!"

The judge banged on his gavel. "Enough! Bailiff, arrest Suzie Collmenter for suspicion of murder."

The bailiff shook his head and walked toward Suzie. "Suzie Collmenter, you're under arrest for the murder of George Perkins." The bailiff read Suzie her Miranda rights before leading her away, but not before Suzie looked back at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright! You're a man that fights for truth in the courtroom, yet you just helped arrest an innocent person! I've been set up!"

Phoenix stared at Suzie as the bailiff led her away. The judge cleared his throat. "Will the defendant please take the stand?"

Carol walked up to the witness stand. "Per usual when Mr. Wright is the attorney, the court finds the defendant, Carol Perkins…not guilty!"

The crowd cheered as the judge banged his gavel. "That is all. Court is adjourned."

And that's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	6. Chapter 6

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed his desk. "Your honor, I request that the trial continue!"

"M—Mr. Wright?! Your client was just pronounced innocent. Why would the trial—"

"A lawyer's job is to find the truth. The prosecution goes against the defendant with all of its might, and the defense attorneys rebut it until the truth has been revealed. The truth hasn't been revealed yet. There is still something that I want to look into…actually a couple of things."

"Alright…bailiff, bring the witness back to the stand." The judge slammed his gavel. "I hereby take back the ruling of 'not guilty.'"

Suzie was panting as she was led back to the stand. Phoenix cleared his throat. "Mrs. Collmenter…it's time you tell us what the victim was blackmailing you about."

"He…wasn't blackmailing me. He was trying to help me. You see…my deceased husband was a leader of a local gang when he was younger. When he was older, he helped several criminal organizations with their finances. I, of course, knew about it. The 'evading taxes' part was referring to hiding money from the government…to help those organizations. The 'do exactly as I say' part was to carefully guide me along as he tried to help me meander out of that web of destruction my husband had gotten us into…"

"So your husband was a crime-boss of sorts?"

"In a way, yes. However, he just helped them with their finances."

_This…is very crucial information…_

"Suzie…let me ask you something and please…answer honestly…why was the murder weapon found in your home."

"…I don't know…honestly. I was just as surprised as the rest of the court when the detective came in and presented the knife to the court."

_Just as I thought…_

"Mr. Wright, what did you try to gain from these questions?"

"Your honor…the witness is being set up."

"Set up?!"

"Yes. This is what I think is happening. Mrs. Collmenter was in some crime syndicates when he passed away. He obviously know a lot about their inner-workings. They also knew that his wife, the witness, probably knew as well. To silence her, they did something that would take the blame from them, and place it on the witness. When she would be convicted, she would have no chance surviving in prison, thereby silencing her once and for all."

"I see…"

"It all makes sense too. It explains the blackmail letter, how we found the murder weapon in her home, everything. You knew you were being set up…didn't you Mrs. Collmenter?"

"I…had my suspicions yes…"

"Then do you have any suspicions as to who is setting you up?"

"…..I do."

"Who is it? Who is setting you up?"

"…C—Carol Perkins."

…_I knew it…_

The crowd burst into chatter. "Don't believe her! She's been lying this whole time!"

"She's just defending herself!"

The judge banged his gavel. "Order! Order! Mrs. Collmenter, this is the last time the court will hear your testimony. If you lie to the court again, you will immediately be charged with perjury and murder. Do you understand?"

"Yes…your honor."

"Good. Now, begin your testimony."

"Carol Perkins isn't who she claims to be. My husband was going over financial statements for a crime organization when her name appeared at the top of the list. She's the leader of a murderous gang!"

The crowd was silent as Suzie started crying. "My husband...officially, died in his sleep. However, he was murdered. I always suspected her of the murder, and moved closer to her. Her husband became suspicious of me and eventually asked me why I was constantly observing them. When I told them, and showed him the records, he agreed to help me. However, two nights later…the murder occurred. I knew that I would be next and faked me being a witness, in an attempt to save my own skin. I would be granted witness protection and, if I succeeded, would be granted it my whole life. However, I'm done hiding! That monster killed my husband and hers! I guarantee you she will not hesitate to kill again! Mr. Wright…please…stop her…"

Phoenix stared at Suzie. "Mrs. Collmenter…I'll bring the truth out. I promise you that."

The judge banged his gavel. "Your cross-examination, Mr. Wright."

"Carol Perkins isn't who she claims to be—"

"Hold it!" _The first thing is to get more information about the real Carol Perkins._ "The client I know is an elderly lady who was shocked over the death of her husband."

"That was just an act. In reality, she and George were having marital problems. They were arguing all the time. I could hear them even in the back of my house."

_Constantly bickering couple…could be motive…but I have a feeling there's another, bigger motive behind this._

"My husband was going over financial statements for a crime organization when her name appeared at the top of the list—"

"Hold it! Now I know this is on short notice, but can you proved proof of this?"

"Certainly. I know there are some detectives at my home right now. Tell them to look near the dresser on the right of my bed. There's a compartment there that can be accessed. It should be near the bottom of the wall."

The bailiff went out of the courtroom, phone in hand. A few minutes later, he returned. "Your honor, the detective indeed found a compartment in the wall containing what she described. They sent me a picture of the documents in question."

The judge took the phone and looked at it. "Indeed, it is. It clearly says Carol Perkins."

The crowd started murmuring. Soon, Phoenix slammed his desk. "Your honor…I am completely contradicting a very basic principle I was taught…to always trust your client…but I would like to question her further about his matter."

"I agree. Both sides should be given about this. Mrs. Collmenter, thank you for finally telling the court the truth. You may—"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed his desk. "Before you go, please tell me something, why do you think your husband was murdered?"

"…as I said before, my husband knew the inner-workings of dozens of gangs. They have…methods…to help a coroner…falsify an autopsy. In reality, he was poisoned."

"Do you have proof of this?"

"I do. I'm sure the detectives will be sending the bailiff a message soon."

"I see…thank you Mrs. Collmenter."

Theodora slammed her desk. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner witness?! I could have stopped this entire fiasco before it started!"

"I'm sorry…but I was just protecting myself at the time. However, the truth is out…and it'll be up to you two to find out what really happened that night."

Suzie stepped away from the witness stand and to the seat she occupied before she testified. The judge cleared his throat. "The court calls Carol Perkins to the stand!"

_This is it! She has to have something up her sleeve in case this happened! I have to be careful!_

That's the chapter. Sorry about a week delay in the updates, but my life is in the middle of a transformation…I'm going to be moving to Colorado in August and I'm trying to prepare everything for that. Sorry if there's long gaps between updates, but that's my life right now. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, after a more than a month without an update, here it is. My life has been hectic. I just moved into a new place yesterday in Colorado, so it's different not knowing anyone here. Anyways, on with the chapter. (Also, if I contradict my story in this chapter, I apologize now. It's been a long time since an update, and I only read the latest chapter.)

Carol walked up to the witness stand, calm and collected. "Name and occupation witness."

"Carol Perkins. I'm retired."

"Carol, you have been accused of murdering two men, your neighbor and your husband. Do you have any counters to the Suzie's comments?"

"I do your honor. Just as what my attorney mentioned beforehand, I'm being setup by her. All you have from that document is my name. Have you verified that it is legitimate? Do you have proof that I had arguments with my husband? People lie to protect themselves. That is exactly what Suzie is doing."

Theodora cleared her throat. "To be honest, we sent the documents to the lab to be verified. The results should be here before the trial is concluded for the day. It's actually quite simple to see if you were arguing with your husband. You did have more neighbors than just Suzie. We'll ask them if it is true. However, for your final statement, the same could be said of you. You are in a predicament that could change your life for the worst."

"Then let me defend myself with a testimony. Your honor, may I?"

The judge cleared his throat and shook his head. "You may, Mrs. Perkins."

_Alright Phoenix, I don't know what she has up her sleeve, but it can't be good…_

"I'm being set up. Suzie is in fact the murderer. The murder weapon was found in her home, her husband was a financier of a criminal organization, and she has lied to the court in the past. Why believe her now?"

The judge shook her head. "So you say that the witness is merely using you as a scapegoat?"

"Yes, your honor."

"I see. Mr. Wright, begin your cross-examination please."

_I have a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. The first thing I should do is get more information out from her._

"I'm being set up—"

"Hold it! So you say that Suzie is framing you for the murder?"

"Yes. We never really got along to begin with. Suzie never really talked with me, but was always with my husband. That caused a divide between us."

"So you're giving us a motive for you being set up?"

"I am."

_If that motive holds up, we could be in serious trouble._

"Are the neighbors able to confirm that you two weren't happy with each other?"

"I guess a couple of them are. I'm not really sure to be honest."

_A motive that can't be proven…_

"Suzie is in fact the murderer—"

"Hold it! Why would she be the murderer? After all, the victim was the one person trying to help her out of her predicament."

"Some murders have unknown motives. This is obviously one of them."

_You can't really argue against that…_

"The murder weapon was found in her home—"

"Hold it! The murder weapon was placed there to set her up."

"No, she brought it with her to her house after she committed the crime."

"Who would honestly bring the murder weapon home with them to incriminate them?"

"This is Suzie. I wouldn't put anything past her puny mind. Besides, can you also prove that the murder weapon was placed there?"

"No…but it also can't be proven she brought it back with her."

"And so the never ending circle of logic continues. We'll let the lab deal with that. For now, let's just get on with my testimony."

"Her husband was a financier of a criminal organization—"

"Hold it! I will admit that it doesn't look good for her for her husband to be financing criminals, but that was his mistake, not hers."

"It seems like my defense attorney is set completely against me. Anyways, she has known this for several years. Why didn't she tell the police about it?"

"…I don't know."

"Because she was heavily involved in it. If she told the police about that, her name would be on the list. She would be charged along with her husband."

_That would explain the "blackmail" letter then…_

"Besides, if she is willing to finance a criminal organization, why not commit some criminal acts herself?"

"That's…a good observation, I'll give you that."

"Convinced yet that she's the murderer?"

"Not yet. Please continue with your testimony."

"She has lied to the court in the past. Why believe her now—"

"Hold it! There is a phrase that says, 'throwing in the towel'. I will admit that she did lie to the court, but when eventually found out, she 'threw in the towel' and told the truth. Even the most masterful liar will tell the truth on an occasion."

"That's not a solid explanation as to trust her. Even if the most masterful liar told the truth, everyone would be skeptical and not willing to readily believe it."

_Why did it turn out to be more like an argument than a cross-examination?_

The judge banged his gavel. "The court accepts this testimony."

Carol smiled. "Good, finally some sanity in this courtroom."

Phoenix sighed. _I didn't get too much information…what am I going to do now?_

And that's the chapter. Sorry if it's a short one, but as I said, I just moved in and I have little time to spare, especially when I'm planning on updating three stories, this one and another on fanfiction, and one on fictionpress. Anyways, thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	8. Chapter 8

This update is coming out a bit later than what I wanted, but that's because the computer went wacko and I lost the chapter I was originally working on. Also, I created an official page on facebook. Just search 801tman and I should be the first one on the list. Anyways, on with the chapter!

The judge banged his gavel. "It appears that this case is getting nowhere at the moment. Both witnesses say the other is the killer. Under such circumstances, I must postpone the trial for a day in order for the evidence in question to be verified."

_If that happens…Carol will be sure to change attorneys. I have to find the truth here and now! But how can I extend the trial…_

"OBJECTION!"

The entire courtroom turned toward Athena. "Ms. Prosecutor, you previously denied me the privilege of using Widget in the courtroom. Since we have actually fulfilled your condition by using traditional methods, I again ask that the defense use widget."

Theodora put her hand to her chin and sighed. "I will allow that device to be used."

Phoenix grinned. "Nice going Athena."

Athena shook her head and pressed widget. Soon, the mood matrix appeared. "Alright Mrs. Carol, can you tell us your testimony once more please?"

"I guess."

"I'm being set up. Suzie is the murderer."

_Anger is flashing…but if I were set up, I'd be angry too…_

"The murder weapon was found in her home."

_Now this is odd…both happiness and shock appeared. _"Got it!"

"Carol, when you just said that statement, both happiness…and shock appeared. First, I'll ask you about the shock. What exactly caused you to be shocked?"

"Well…it's…just the shock of how she was so stupid as to leave the murder weapon in her trash."

_I doubt that's the truth…_

Athena shook her head. "The discord in her heart hasn't died down after that statement."

"It's time you tell us the truth Carol. Tell us why you were shocked!"

"…"

"You're making yourself look suspicious."

"I know…it's just…my pride. Fine, you want the truth, I lied to the court. I don't really think she is really capable of killing anyone. So when the knife was found there, I was shocked."

Phoenix turned to Athena who shook her head. "Her discord went down."

"Alright then, now why were you happy?"

"…"

"We know when you lie, so just tell us the truth now."

"…I…can't…"

"Why can't you?"

"….b—because…both of us, me and Suzie…are victims…"

"Victims?"

"Yes. With every criminal organization, there is always a rival. That rival found out who was financing our organization and…"

"And what?"

"They…did indeed murder Suzie's husband."

"So it was a murder?"

"Yes…and the worst part is that they made me keep the drug that killed him. They didn't want any evidence being pointed their way. The coroner who did the autopsy…he was one of their targets, and if he didn't comply, they would have killed him."

"So then…"

"…if I'm right, you're thinking they were the same ones who killed my husband."

"That is correct."

"…it's true. I'm done living in fear. They murdered my husband. They then framed me to make me take the fall."

"So the feud between you and Suzie just now…"

"It was just an act to avoid suspicions from them. We both are living in constant fear of being attacked and killed, or being forced to do something we don't want to do. I'm done living that lifestyle. They stole my husband…they stole my life…they can't possibly take anything more…"

_I knew it…there was something deeper then what met the eye._

Theodora sighed. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner? We could have avoided this whole fiasco of a trial and gotten you two proper protection."

"I don't know why…honestly."

Theodora shook her head. "Alright then. I'll see to it that you and Suzie are under the witness protection program. We'll hunt down the people who killed your husband, and Suzie's as well."

"Thank you ma'am. You don't know how much that means to me…"

The judge cleared his throat. "Now that everything has been settled, I would like to draw this case to a close. Carol Perkins, I'm sorry for your loss and hope the police can find your husband's killer. Same goes for you Suzie."

"Thank you…"

"As for now, the court finds the defendant, Carol Perkins…not guilty!"

The crowd cheered as the judge banged his gavel. "That is all. Court is adjourned."

Phoenix left the courtroom and into the defendant's lobby. "Well…than went differently than what I had planned."

Athena shook her head. "Why do you always get these type cases?"

"I don't know. It just always happens that way."

Carol walked into the room. "Mr. Wright…"

"Carol…I'm sorry I doubted you."

"No, it's alright. Because of that you were able to find out what was going through me and Suzie's life."

"That reminds me, I never really did get an answer as to why you were happy."

"…I was happy because they put another option for the court to decide. They could have made Suzie the killer or me the killer. I was happy because I knew I wasn't alone in what I was going through."

"I see…"

"Anyways, thank you Mr. Wright. Suzie and I are going to be relocated with different names. We should be safe for a while."

"No problem, and don't worry, if that criminal organization tries to frame anyone else, I'll be sure to stop them, and find out who they are."

"Thank you Mr. Wright, I'm counting on you."

A uniformed police officer walked into the lobby. "Mrs. Perkins, time to take you to the station to begin the witness protection process."

Carol shook her head. "I guess that's my cue to leave. Mr. Wright…again, thank you…and be sure to lock those monsters up!"

Phoenix grinned. "You can count on me."

Carol smirked. "And you too Athena. Thank you."

"No problem."

Widget chimed in. "Glad I could help."

Carol laughed. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving then. Goodbye."

Phoenix and Athena said their goodbyes as Carol and the officer left the room. Athena sighed. "I can't imagine how she feels right now. After living in fear all that time…she's now free."

"I'm sure she feels great right now, but we have a job to do. We have to find out who killed—"

*Bang bang*

Phoenix and Athena jumped from the noise. "G—gunshots!"

Soon, screams were ringing through the room. Phoenix, without thinking, rushed out of the room. There, on the ground, was the police officer, a hold in his forehead. Next to him, Carol was on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding her. "Carol!"

Phoenix rushed over to her. "M—Mr. Wright…"

"Carol, who shot you?! Who did this to you?!"

"It…was…that—"

"That what?"

Carol opened her mouth again to speak, but a bubble of blood instead of words came out of her mouth, when it popped, her body relaxed, and her head fell backwards. Phoenix heard footsteps running toward him as his mind went blank.

And that's the chapter. I hoped you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading and don't forget to review.


	9. Chapter 9

Phoenix was sitting on a bench outside of the courthouse, the shock of recent events still not registering through his mind. Carol was dead, and what made it worse is that no one saw the shooter. Athena was pacing back and forth in front of him. "Why didn't we know something was going to happen?! We could have stopped it!"

"It was impossible to know. Besides, even if we did, how were we going to stop it? It's not like I carry a gun on me."

"True…but still…we should have done something…"

_Now I know how Apollo felt when his client died…_

Athena let out an irritated sigh. "I just can't stand not doing anything when her killer is still out there!"

"It's actually quite simple to know who killed her."

"Really!? Who?!"

"I don't know 'who', but I guarantee you that the criminal organization that was brought up in the trial had something to do with it. After all, she knew a lot about their activities and posed a big threat. Silencing her was the first step. I guarantee you that Suzie is going to be their next target."

"But she's under heavy guard."

"I know, but I still feel uneasy about it. After all, how did they know she was going to be there right when she was? I have a feeling that someone close to the case told them where she would be…"

"Well it certainly wasn't me!"

Widget chimed in. "So don't even think about it!"

Phoenix chuckled. "Don't worry, you were with me the entire time. Besides, even if that was the case, I would never believe you would be capable of such an act…"

Athena sighed and sat down next to Phoenix. Soon, Ema walked up to Phoenix. "I'm afraid to say that we have absolutely no leads on who the killer is. No witnesses saw the gunman, and we couldn't find the murder weapon. The killer probably took the gun with him."

"So the person who killed Carol…got away, didn't he?"

"Unless another witness showed up that saw the gunman, basically."

"But how could they shoot someone without being seen?"

"I have no idea…"

A man was walking down the street, a phone next to his ear. "I have completed part one of the mission."

A voice on the other end of the line smirked. "I know. The courthouse is in an uproar right now. I never knew you could kill someone without being seen."

"It's just one of my gifts. Anyways, Suzie is going to be harder to get to, so it'll require more money."

"I'll gladly pay you more. We need to silence her as well. The policemen guarding her change shifts in two hours. That gives you a thirty second window to finish the job."

"No problem. I'll let you know of my fee when she is dead."

"Alright then. I'll talk to you later then."

The man ended the call and smirked. "I guess it's time I show everyone what I'm made of."

Phoenix walked into a room, after being patted down for weapons. There, he saw Suzie, sitting on a chair, sobbing. "Suzie…"

Suzie looked up. "Mr. Wright…"

"I'm sorry with what happened with Carol, but it'll be alright."

"How can it be alright? There's a killer on the loose, wanting to kill me!"

"We don't know that for certain just yet…"

Another voice chimed in. "And even if they were, you are too heavily protected to be killed."

Phoenix turned and saw Theodora in the doorway. "I guarantee you that they won't kill you."

"Ms. Theodora…"

"Anyways, I just came to inform Phoenix that the guard change will happen shortly, and the other guards haven't yet arrived, so for her safety, I ask for you to leave Mr. Wright."

"O—of course. Don't worry Suzie, I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'll get to the bottom of this."

"Thank you Mr. Wright…"

Theodora followed Phoenix out of the room. "So, how is Athena taking this whole situation?"

"Well, for a young girl like her…she's taken it quite well. She just doesn't want to sit by the sidelines and do nothing however."

Theodora chuckled. "Sounds like me when I first started being a prosecutor. Whenever there was a killing, I wanted to be the prosecutor. I didn't want to be doing nothing while that person's killer was on the loose."

Phoenix gave a slight grin. "I would imagine so. I've never been a prosecutor so I couldn't know what that felt like."

Out of the corner of his eye, Phoenix saw the guards leaving the room, and Suzie still sitting on her chair. "The guards should be here in a minute. They just ran into some traffic."

Suzie watched the guards leave the room, a sense of loneliness setting in. Feeling a shiver shoot up her spine, she put her arms around her body and shivered. "You can't be cold now, are you?"

Suzie looked up and saw a man in the corner. "W—who are you…and how did you get in here?!"

"Well, my name is Randy Reed. And you must be Suzie Collmenter."

"Y—yes."

"Well, sorry to tell you this Suzie, but…" Randy took out a pistol with a silencer on it. "Your life has reached its end."

"Y—you're the killer!?"

"I am. Quite remarkable I must say, killing Carol without being seen by anyone. Same goes for here, except, well, you."

"Why are you doing this?! You can't support that organization that much to kill me as well!"

"I have no loyalties, except for money, and my employers are paying me quite a lot."

"What if I paid you more?!"

"Well, I know your financial statement due to my financier…and you could never even come close to it. Sorry for you, but if you did have the money, I would have considered it. Anyways, the other guards should be here soon, so let's get this over with, shall we?"

The man pointed the pistol at Suzie. Suzie opened her mouth to scream, but a bullet in her head stopped her. Falling backwards in her chair, Suzie hit the ground with a thud, her lifeless body pouring out blood from her head.

"An exquisite kill."

Phoenix and Theodora were still talking when the other guards entered the courthouse. "Sorry we're late ma'am. There was an unexpected traffic jam."

"Didn't I tell you guys to plan ahead? A person's life is at stake every second you waste! Now get in there!"

"Yes ma'am."

Phoenix noticed a young man lead the group. "He must be new."

"He is the newest addition to their squad."

He opened the door, only to gasp. Crouching over, the young man vomited. "Jackson, what's wrong with—"

The man in charge stared into the room. He immediately took out his pistol and entered. "Target is down! I repeat, target is down!"

Phoenix gasped. "Target…does that mean…Suzie!"

Phoenix rushed past the guard, to see a puddle of blood around Suzie.

"How…how could he do that?! Even while we were right outside!?"

Theodora stood right next to Phoenix. "I…have no idea…"

Two chapters in one day. I'm on a roll. Anyways, thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


	10. Chapter 10

Phoenix was lying down on the couch in his office, trying to let the events of the day sink in. Athena was sitting on a chair next to him, silent. Soon, Apollo walked into the room. "Oh, you guys are back already?"

Phoenix merely shook his head.

"Did you win?"

Again, Phoenix only shook his head.

"Then, why do you look so glum?"

Phoenix pointed to the tv. Apollo sighed and turned on the television. Soon, news of the killings was filling up the room. "Authorities don't know how the killer managed to infiltrate the courthouse not once, but twice, and successfully kill the two women. Based off of what little information we have been told, the two women were in the same trial involving the famous defense attorney Phoenix Wright. Due to the trial, both of them were to be placed under witness protection, but the police refused to tell us why."

Apollo sighed. "Who were the two women?"

"My client and a witness named Suzie Collmenter. They were both victims of a single criminal organization. They were supposed to tell us everything they knew about them when they were officially under protection, but that never happened."

Apollo shook his head. "I'm sorry Mr. Wright…I know what it feels like…"

Phoenix smirked. "Thanks Apollo."

Apollo turned to Athena. "How are you taking it Athena?"

Athena didn't respond, either by words or by motion. She stayed completely still.

"She's having a hard time with it."

Apollo slowly shook his head. "Anyways, Mr. Wright, Maya called and she said that she should be here in an hour. Trucy wanted to buy a new cape, and she can't seem to decide on one."

Phoenix chuckled. "Sounds like Trucy."

Soon, Apollo had left to investigate a case of his own, leaving Phoenix and Athena with their thoughts.

Randy Reed was walking downt he street, his phone next to his ear. "Now, about my payment…"

"I'm doubling your payment for the job you performed. You fooled everyone in the entire courthouse."

"I take pride in my work. Now, if you need anything else, just ask me."

"Well, how about accepting a high-paying job?"

"I'm listening…"

Soon, Maya, Trucy, and Pearl arrived back at the office, finding Phoenix and Athena in the same positions as Apollo found them. Maya, not knowing what went on, came into the room chipper. "Hey guys, finish the trial already?"

Phoenix, like with Apollo, merely shook his head. "Did you win?"

Phoenix repeated his head shake. "Then why do you look so…upset?"

Again, Phoenix pointed to the tv. When Maya turned on the tv, basically the same report Apollo heard played for Maya. Phoenix chuckled slightly. "This is like déjà vu."

"How so?"

"Apollo asked the same things you did, and I gave him the same response."

"Oh…I'm sorry about what happened though."

"It's alright. Anyways, there aren't going to be any trials tomorrow. It gives the police a day to complete their investigation."

"Oh…"

"Anyways, how was your shopping trip. "Well, Trucy couldn't decide on a new cape, so we went to four different stores to find one she likes…"

"Heh, I bet you had fun then."

Maya smirked a little and sighed.

Phoenix was about to say something when the front door to the office opened. Looking up, Phoenix saw a man walk in. "Is this the Wright Anything Agency?"

Phoenix stood up. "Yes this is."

"Are you guys currently hiring?"

"Well…it depends. What do you do?"

"Oh, I'm a secretary. I help organize paperwork, finances, and that sort of stuff."

"What's your name?"

"William Collins."

"Hmm…well, we do need a person to check the finances and that sort of thing. Can you give me your contact information and we'll get back with you tomorrow."

"Alright. Thank you Mr. Wright?"

"You are correct."

"I look forward to your call." William waved his hand and walked out of the office."

Phoenix looked at the cell phone number. "Do you think he'll do well Maya?"

"Well, he is chipper, and maybe a bit clumsy, but I think he'll do well."

Phoenix slightly jumped when widget spoke up. "So do I."

"Ah, Athena, back from space are you?"

"This isn't the time for jokes Mr. Wright…"

"Look…Athena…being a lawyer…you'll encounter things like this. You'll receive death threats saying you thwarted justice, people will look down on you for your profession, and other things. Yes…this is up there, but if you let something traumatic get you down for too long, you'll have a hard time succeeding."

Athena sighed. "It's…my first time for this to happen. It's going to take a while."

"I understand."

Soon, the rest of the day passed without any major events.

Edgeworth arrived at the courthouse the next morning. The officer in charge saluted Edgeworth as he walked in. Policemen were still all over the place, trying to figure out how the killer managed to be unseen. Edgeworth walked into the room where Suzie was killed. There, he saw Gumshoe. "Detective Gumshoe."

"Ah, Mr. Edgeworth! I was just about to call you."

"Have you found anything?"

"That's what I was going to call about. We found a couple of hairs that we think belonged to the killer."

"Have you sent them to the lab?"

"Yes. They're doing a DNA analysis now. But…it's the only thing we've found beside the bullet in her body."

"What gun was used to kill her?"

"A…standard issue for a policeman."

"So our killer could be a cop?"

"Maybe. We have no definitive proof though."

Edgeworth shook his head. "However, be careful with who you give information about the investigation to."

"Will do sir."

Edgeworth sighed once again. _This courthouse has been through a lot. First, a bombing and now two murders…If this keeps up, no one will feel safe coming here…_

Phoenix stared at William's phone number, unsure if he should call now or later. Putting the number down, he walked into the living room where he saw Trucy and Maya watching reruns of "The Steel Samurai."

"You guys are still watching that?"

"It's a classic Nick. A CLASSIC!"

Phoenix sighed and sat down next to her, putting his arm her shoulder.

"So, have you called that William guy back?"

"Not yet. I'll probably do that after lunch."

Maya nodded her head as she stared at the tv, unable to take her eyes off the screen.

And that's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to REVIEW! I don't know if you guys like it or not if you don't review.


	11. Chapter 11

Alright everyone, I have an announcement to make before I begin the chapter. I am not going to be starting any more stories, and will try to leave the fanfiction/fictionpress community. I'm trying to write to be published, so I'm trying to put all my writing efforts in that direction. I will finish what works I have started, but I won't be starting new ones, and once I finish them, I won't write anymore for the sites. Anyways, on with the chapter.

William was sitting nervously as Phoenix looked through a couple of papers. "So…recently graduated…no job history…why should I hire you?"

"I was the top student in my graduating class. I could solve even the most complex situations regarding finances. I thought working for an organization that has many…aspects to it would be a good place to put my talents."

"Are you good with organizing paperwork?"

"Certainly. I excel in that aspect as well."

Phoenix shook his head. "Alright…what would you expect for pay?"

"Well…I was hoping for sixteen an hour…"

"You do realize we don't have a steady source of income unless we have a trial, correct?"

"I do."

"And you do realize that if we don't have a source of income, we will have to delay your pay for a bit, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"One last question…do you watch 'The Steel Samurai'?"

"Why would you ask that sir?"

"Just answer the question."

"No sir. I don't."

Phoenix clapped his hands. "Good! Then the job is yours. When are you able to start?"

"Tomorrow."

"Alright then, see you tomorrow."

William stood up, thanked Phoenix, and walked out of the room. Soon, he was walking down the street, grinning from ear to ear.

A man was sitting in his car, watching William leave the office. Taking out his cell phone, he called someone. "Yes?"

"Why, exactly, should I just sit here and watch some beat defense attorney?"

"That 'beat' defense attorney is the best in the business, and knows about what happened to Carol and Suzie's husbands. He's a threat to us, so I want you to keep him under observation. We'll pay you a daily fee for your service."

"I'm a mercenary, hire to kill, not some sort of stalker. Why can't one of your men do this?"

"Because we have to lay low for a while. Don't worry, you'll be well compensated for your work."

The man grunted. "I better be."

Edgeworth was sitting in his office, rubbing his hands against his forehead. _Why must, of all times, the courthouse not be safe?_

There was a knock on the door. "Enter."

Gumshoe walked in. "You called for me sir?"

"Yes. I want you to go to Phoenix's office and inform him about who we believe the suspect may be and whatever we uncovered during the investigation."

"I thought you told me to keep my mouth—"

"And I'm the one telling you to tell him."

Gumshoe saluted Edgeworth and shook his head. "Yes sir. I'll be on my way."

Gumshoe left the office. Edgeworth picked up the phone and called the chief of police. "Yes it's me. I need you to do a favor for me. Provide extra security for the courthouse the next two weeks please? It would make the public feel safer to attend the trials with more security around."

Edgeworth shook his head and chuckled. "Thank you sir. I look forward to extra security. Before you go, may I ask you one more thing?"

Phoenix was eating lunch when he heard the entrance open, revealing Gumshoe. "Ah, Detective Gumshoe, why are you here?"

"I'm here by Mr. Edgeworth's orders. I have been told to tell you what we discovered at the crime scene."

"What did you guys find?"

"We found out that the murderer may be a police officer, since the gun used to kill Suzie was a standard issue for a police officer. However, it was modified a bit by a silencer, making sure you guys didn't hear the gunshot."

"I figured that the killer used a silencer, but I had my suspicions that the killer may be a police officer."

"Why did you think that?"

"It's with Carol's murder. There was no way that the killer could have known exactly where she would be unless he knew beforehand. The only way to know that is if you were connected to the case."

"That's a good observation. I'll be sure to tell Mr. Edgeworth that. Anyways, that's all that we know, besides the fact that the man may have worn a body suit, since no evidence was found besides the bullet."

"What was used to kill Carol?"

"A sniper rifle. I'm not good with naming guns, but I do know it was a sniper rifle that killed her. We're determining where the killer could have shot from to kill her."

"Alright, thanks Gumshoe. Tell me if you guys find anything else please."

"Will do pal!"

Gumshoe left the office, a new wave of perseverance running through him. "I WILL find out who did this!"

Edgeworth was looking out the window in his office, sipping tea, when he heard another knock on his door. "Come in."

The door opened and Ema walked in. "You called me, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about the murders at the courthouse."

"What about them?"

"Do you know anything that we don't know?"

"Absolutely not."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Why are you asking me this?"

"There is circumstantial evidence pointed to you. Gumshoe called and told me an observation Mr. Wright had. The only way the killer could have killed Carol was to know exactly where she was, when she was going to be there. Only someone working on the case could know when she would be there. That would be you. You were at the courthouse that day. You worked the case. I am hereby relieving you of your duties until the matter is resolved."

"But Mr. Edgeworth—"

"Don't 'but' me. This is actually an act of mercy. I could place you in the detention center until your suspicion is cleared. Instead, I'm giving you paid leave. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some more paperwork to do."

Ema sighed and walked out of the room. _This can't be happening…this can't be!_

That's the chapter. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review.


	12. Chapter 12

Phoenix was lounging around, not knowing what to do, when he heard the entrance to the office door burst open, revealing a distraught Ema.

"Ema, what are you doing here?"

"I—I…I've been listed as a suspect in the murders of Carol and Suzie!"

"You—you're a suspect?! Who in the world decided that?!"

"It was Mr. Edgeworth…"

"Edgeworth…"Phoenix growled under his breath and walked to his cell phone and called a familiar number. "What is it Wright?"

"What the heck are you thinking?! Ema as a murderer?!"

"It's not set in stone. I said she's a SUSPECT of being a murderer. Being a suspect doesn't mean you're the killer. However, we have some circumstantial evidence suggesting she may be at least involved."

"I don't buy it, not one bit. Ema isn't the type of person to kill a person."

"And nobody expected her sister Lana to alter a crime scene. That's the one weakness you have Wright. You trust people to a fault. You trust them too much!"

"So it's a weakness to trust a friend?"

"If it's preventing you to conduct a fair and unbiased investigation, then yes, it is. If I found evidence that you were a murderer, I would prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

Phoenix sighed. "So is there any news with the murders?"

"You now know just as much as we do. Ema is our only suspect…and the public is making a clamor to prosecute somebody. It's like they want to lynch people instead of carrying out justice."

"What are you saying?"

"I may be chief prosecutor, but I do have my limits. If we don't find another suspect by the days end, Ema Skye will be put on trial."

"That's insane! You're just giving into the pressure!"

"I am not. It's an order given directly from the mayor himself. I can't disobey that order. Besides, I'm sure that if she's prosecuted, you'll be the one defending her." Edgeworth sighed. "Wright, you're the only defense attorney I trust to defend Ema. She is a friend of mine too, but I don't let my personal relationships get in the way. I trust that if she is prosecuted, you will get her swiftly acquitted."

Wright just stared ahead, the phone glued to his ear. "When will I know when she will be put on trial?"

"Judging by how quickly you found out she was a suspect, I would say she was at your office, correct?"

"Yes…you are correct."

"Well, keep her there. If she is going to be put on trial, the police will be sent to your office to arrest her. It's the best place for her to be arrested, because a defense attorney is around. If she's not arrested before tomorrow, she won't be put on trial…at least not yet."

"Not yet?"

"Hey, I'm a prosecutor, not a fortune teller. I can't tell the future. More evidence might appear that might—"

A loud knock interrupted Edgeworth. "I'm sorry Wright, it appears I have to go now. Keep Ema there, and you'll know as soon as possible what's going on."

The line went dead, leaving Phoenix standing, frustrated with what was going on.

Edgeworth hung up the phone and watched as the person entered the room. "Ms. Lawson, may I ask the reason for your visit?"

"I have some information about the murders of Carol and Suzie."

"Oh? What information?"

"After much searching, the police managed to find a frightened witness. He was originally too afraid to talk, but after being convinced by officers at the scene, he spilled the beans."

"What did he say?"

"Well, I'll start from the beginning…"

It had been over an hour since Phoenix had called Edgeworth, and Ema was still in the office, frightened, but she felt safe knowing Phoenix and Maya were close by."

Ema had just finished telling Phoenix what had happened between her and Edgeworth, and what she was doing during the trial. "That's why I'm telling you, there's no way I'm the killer!"

Phoenix shook his head. "I believe you. If you are prosecuted, I will defend you, and I WILL get you a 'not guilty'."

"Thanks Mr. Wright."

As Phoenix and Maya tried to change the subject to other matters, they heard a loud banging at the entrance. Phoenix stood up. "Who the heck—"

The entrance opened and two male police officers walked into the building. "Mr. Wright?"

"Y—yes?"

"We were told Ema Skye would be here. Where—"

The officer spotted Ema sitting on the sofa, eyes wide. "Ah, there you are. Ema Skye, you are under arrest for the murders of Carol Perkins and Suzie Collmenter."

Phoenix stood between the officers and Ema. "Since I'm her defense attorney, I demand to know why you have the right to arrest her."

"We have a witness, along with newfound evidence that proves her guilt. You'll be able to meet her later during visitor's hours. Now, if you would step aside…"

Phoenix was breathing heavily, his fists clenched, but soon relaxed and moved over, allowing the officers to walk over to Ema. "Detective Skye…it's a shame you decided to go down the road of a criminal."

Ema started tearing up and looked at Phoenix, who solemnly watched. Ema turned around with her hands behind her back. The police officer put handcuffs around her wrists and led her out of the building. However, she turned back at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, please find out who did this! I beg of you!"

Phoenix, whose fists were still clenched, nodded his head. "I'll figure this out! I promise!"

Ema slightly smiled as tears rolled down her face. She was led into the police cruiser and stared at Phoenix. The doors slammed shut, blocking Phoenix's view of Ema. Soon, the police cruiser pulled out and drove away. Phoenix immediately grabbed his phone and called Edgeworth. "Wright…since you called, I guess Ema was arrested."

"I thought you said it wouldn't be until tonight at the earliest?!"

"When I said that, it was. However, a witness was found, who pointed us to some evidence. I will admit, it looks bad for Ema, and with the breach of security at the courthouse, no one except the police and prosecutors are allowed at the courthouse until tomorrow morning…the day of Ema's trial."

"Already?!"

"Ordered by the mayor. I forgot to tell you that when we first talked. The mayor wants the trial tomorrow, which is why we needed to find a suspect by tonight…but as you can see now…that no longer applies."

Phoenix tried to contain his anger. "Who? Who is prosecuting?"

"…Theodora Lawson. She was the one who found the witness to begin with, so she knows the most information. I'm sorry Wright, but I really have to be going. I'll see you tomorrow at the courthouse. Goodbye."

Edgeworth hung up the phone and sighed. "This isn't any easier for me Wright..."


	13. Chapter 13

Ema was sitting in a cell at the detention center when she heard footsteps walk towards her. Soon, Edgeworth came into view. "M-Mr. Edgeworth!"

"E-Ema…how have they been treating you?"

"…not that great. They all think I did it, and they sure aren't holding back with their comments."

"Comments?"

"'I wish I'm there when they fry her on the electric chair.' 'I hope I'm the one who flips the switch for the chair!' Stuff like that."

Edgeworth sighed. "That's a breach of policy that I'll personally look into. However, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to ask you one simple question."

"W-what is it?"

"Did you really kill them?"

"No! I didn't! There's no way in the world I would be the one to kill them!"

Edgeworth nodded his head in approval. "I believe you. Besides, you have a high friend in the official investigation in Gumshoe. He's been refusing to allow the other investigators to even say that you're the killer."

Ema smiled slightly. "That's Gumshoe for you…always looking out for the people he trusts, even to a fault."

Phoenix was pacing back and forth in his office, still heated about Ema being arrested. "Why?! Why must that happen?"

Maya was sitting on the couch, watching Phoenix pace. "There wasn't a thing you could have done to stop her arrest. The only thing you can do now is to prove her innocent in court."

Phoenix sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You're right…but still…I feel like I could have done something else, something more."

Maya stood up. "Stop beating yourself over this! If you act like this, there's no way you'll be able to save her!"

Phoenix was stunned by the sudden raise of tone from Maya. "S-sorry…"

Phoenix sat down on the couch, putting his hands on his head. "I'm just…I'm not…I don't know."

Maya sat down next to him and put her arm over his shoulder. "Hey, Nick, you're the smartest guy I know. No matter how bad something seemed, you always fought your way back. I know for a fact that you'll be able to do something about this. Now, let's start this investigation!"

Phoenix took a deep breath. "Alright, let's go!"

Theodora Lawson was in her office, looking at paperwork for the case. Sighing, she set the papers down and looked out the window, unsure of what to do next.

Phoenix and Maya arrived at the detention center. Phoenix chuckled. "This is becoming more and more like a second home to me. I seem to come here every day."

Maya laughed. "Watch out, you might get so attached to this place, you'll get arrested just so you can be in here."

Phoenix playfully sighed. "Let's just go and see Ema. I'm sure they must have told her some things that will help us."

Soon, Phoenix and Maya were sitting in the detention center, across the glass, was Ema.

"I'm glad you could make it…and with such good timing. Mr. Edgeworth left around ten minutes ago."

"Edgeworth was here?"

"Yeah. He came to ask me if I really killed them or not, and he believed me when I said I didn't."

"Is that all he said?"

"Well…he did say he was going to look into a breach of behavior from the guards concerning me, but other than that, not much."

"I see. So, have you heard anything as to why they had the right to arrest you earlier?"

"Only a few bits and pieces. They found a witness that says I'm the one who killed them both. He said that he saw me kill Carol, and that he saw me crawl out the window from the room Suzie was in when she was killed."

"How is that even possible? You would have been spotted if you crawled out the window."

"No…not exactly, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, part of being a detective is being at the courthouse, and I've been there quite a lot, so I know the place pretty well. That room has a window that isn't on a public road, but in an alley."

"There's an alley near the courthouse?"

Maya looked at Nick. "You've never seen it? We've passed it more than once."

"I…guess I just never noticed."

Ema smiled. "The only other thing I know is that the alley is where he was the entire time, so if you go there, I'm sure you'll find some evidence. Besides, I'm sure Gumshoe will be more than willing to give you some info."

Phoenix nodded his head. "We'll head over then, but before we do…how are you holding up?"

Ema sighed and looked at the ground. "I'd be lying if I said I was completely fine. I've already been branded a murderer by the guards, and I hate being in these cold cells. Being on the other side of the law is completely different…"

Phoenix sighed. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to get you out of there! You'll see! You won't be in there long!"

Ema grinned and nodded her head. "Alright! I'm counting on you!"

After saying their goodbyes, Phoenix and Maya walked out of the detention center. Phoenix cleared his throat. "So, Ms. Observant, where is this alley that you've spotted?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "I'll show ya when we get there."

Soon, after a taxi ride, they arrived at the courthouse. "This way Nick."

Maya grabbed Phoenix's hand and led him to the back side of the building, and sure enough, there was an alley. Phoenix chuckled. "Well I'll be…there was an alley here."

"Told you so."

Phoenix walked towards the alley, and was immediately greeted by officer. "Ah, Mr. Wright, do you have business here?"

"Yes I do. I'm representing Ema Skye. I want to conduct my investigation now with my assistant."

The guard nodded. "Alright, you may pass. Hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thanks."

Phoenix and Maya walked into the alley, to see a swarm of officers searching the area for extra evidence. "Ah, there ya are Pal!"

Phoenix saw Detective Gumshoe brush past a few officers. "I've been waiting for you. You ARE representing Ema? Right?"

"Ah…yes. We're here to investigate what happened."

Gumshoe nodded. "Alright, I'll tell ya everything I know. You see, the prosecutor Ms. Lawson was walking back here when she heard some rustling coming from some garbage bags in the corner. When she went to investigate, there was a man who immediately put his hands up saying, 'Please don't kill me.'"

"He must be our witness then?"

"Yes. When she asked him what he was doing there, he said he was hiding from a murderer. He says he saw a brunette woman in the building over there and shoot a woman in the courthouse."

"Do you know whether he was referring to Carol or Suzie?"

"Carol. I've been in the room that he says she shot her from. You can clearly see where Carol was killed."

"So, that must be where our killer was."

"Yep! We of course combed the scene for evidence, and we did find a bullet casing. We're still doing ballistic testing, but it appears it's from a sniper rifle of some kind."

"A sniper…I see. So, anything else I should know?"

"Yes. After Carol was murdered, the witness hid behind the garbage bags for a long time, afraid to come out. However, he said that he heard footsteps and a woman he describes as being Ema crawled into and out of the window over there."

"That must be the window to the place Suzie was killed."

"Yes! Of course…there is more evidence…"

"What…sort of evidence?"

"…I don't know how they found this…but…apparently they found some of Ema's fingerprints and DNA in the room…"

"Fingerprints…and…DNA?"

"Yes…strands of her hair were found near the window frame."

"This…is pretty bad then."

"Yeah…it does prove Ema was at some point in this room, but I know she didn't kill anyone! She has to be set up!"

Phoenix nodded his head. "And we'll prove it, Gumshoe!"


	14. Chapter 14

Phoenix looked at the window, looking inside the room Suzie was killed. _Was Ema really in the room near the time of death? I never saw her enter the room…and that witness…is it possible that he's lying about Ema?_

Maya's voice shook Phoenix out of his trance. "Nick, do you think it's possible for Ema to…actually commit the murder?"

"Is it possible? Yes. It's possible that Godzilla could destroy the entire city. Is it probable? No. She doesn't have a motive. Besides, she was in the courthouse, filled with security cameras. There must be one that shows her where she was at the time of the murders."

Maya enthusiastically nodded her head. "You're right! That will prove Ema had nothing to do with the murders!"

_That just leaves one question…WHO killed them both? Was it the organization mentioned in the trial? Or…could someone else be behind this? Stephen perhaps?_

"Pal, here you go."

Phoenix looked to his right to see Gumshoe offering Phoenix a large envelope. "What's this?"

"It marks the spots where we found Ema's fingerprints and her hair. It also shows you which room the sniper was in who killed Carol."

Phoenix took the envelope. "Thank you Gumshoe…"

Gumshoe nodded. "Whatever I can do to help prove Ema's innocence."

Phoenix smiled. "Is there any way I could speak to the witness now?"

"Sadly no. He's being questioned by the police right now, and since the case is a high profile case, we'll be keeping him in protective custody as to protect him so he can testify at the trial."

"You fear he may be killed?"

"Yes. After all, he's the only known witness. If someone connected to the case didn't want to be mentioned…killing him would help keep their involvement hidden considerably."

Phoenix sighed. "Well, I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way then, find out everything at the trial."

Gumshoe chuckled. "You should be used to it by now."

"Is there anything else I need to know Gumshoe?"

"Well, we're looking at it now, but I can't show you now…"

"What is it?"

"Security footage of the courthouse during the time of both murders. The forensics department is still going through the footage, so you won't see it until the trial. I don't even know what's in it yet."

"I see. Thank you Gumshoe."

An officer from down the alley waved at Gumshoe. "Sir! I need you over here!"

Gumshoe rushed over. Phoenix stood still as the officer and Gumshoe disappeared around a corner. After a few long minutes, Gumshoe appeared again and walked to Phoenix. "Well…I didn't see that coming."

"What do you mean?"

"We…found…another witness. Sorry Pal, but you have to go. I need to talk to this new witness."

Phoenix sighed. "Alright…keep me posted Gumshoe."

Phoenix and Maya left the alley. "So, what's our next move?"

"We have to talk with Ema. We have to know why her fingerprints and hair were found on the scene."

Maya nodded. "Alright. I'm sure she'll be able to tell us. I'm sure there's an explanation."

As Phoenix and Maya got into another taxi, Phoenix couldn't shake the nagging feeling. _What about Stephen Hendricks?_

Maya looked at Phoenix as they were riding and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong Nick?"

"I'm just thinking…perhaps…Stephen is behind this."

"What do you mean?"

"Christian Lumarta once told me…that Stephen had a plan that would bring even the police to bend to his will. I thought we stopped him during Juan's trial…but what if…taking Ema out of the picture is a part of his plan, and this trial is a trial I'm supposed to be a part of in his plan?"

"You're thinking there's more to this than meets the eye?"

"Exactly…I can't put my finger on it…but…there's something else at work behind this case…I don't know. Maybe I'm becoming paranoid and there's nothing to be worried about."

Maya sighed. "I sure hope so."

After they arrived at the detention center, Phoenix was escorted back into the room they saw Ema in before. After a few seconds, Ema was escorted into the room. "Mr. Wright…I assume you're here because you found something at the crime scene?"

"Well, yes and no. I came here to ask how it's possible for the police to find your fingerprints and hair at the crime scene."

"They found…my fingerprints and hair?"

"Yes. Were you, at ANY time, near the area that day?"

"No, I wasn't! I was never near the area! I don't know how they would be able to get them…"

Phoenix sighed. "I was hoping you would be able to tell me why…I just hope now that the two witnesses are both lying."

"Two witnesses? I heard there was just one."

"Oh…that's right. While we were there, apparently a police officer found another witness. I don't know what the other witness said since we were told we had to leave after that, but last we know, there's a second witness."

Ema sighed. "Why must things be happening like this…"

Phoenix looked at Ema. "Don't worry Ema! We'll prove you innocent! But while I just thought of it, is there any way a person can forge your fingerprints?"

"It's possible yes. I've actually seen fingerprints being transferred from one place to another. However, you have to actually have the person's fingerprints to do it, not come up with the prints out of thin air."

"Have you seen anything that would say that your fingerprints were stolen from your property?"

"No. My place is always locked when I get back, and nothing seemed out of place. I'm not sure how they could get my fingerprints, and I know I wasn't in the area."

Phoenix sighed. "Well…at least there's ways to do so. We just need to find a way to prove that your prints were forged."

Maya nodded. "We'll be sure to find out how! Maybe the witnesses tomorrow will also give us some more info to get you acquitted!"

Ema smiled. "Thanks. I'm counting on you guys!"


	15. Chapter 15

Phoenix arrived at the courthouse a few hours earlier than he was supposed to, making sure to slip out the office without waking any of the others. He had left a note telling William what he was expecting him to do on the first day, and to ask Apollo if he needed any help. As Phoenix walked through the courthouse, he couldn't help but think about the incidents that had happened recently at the building.

Already, he could see extra security packing the courthouse, with security personnel outnumbering civilians. Finding out the courtroom number his case was to be held in, Phoenix walked to the defendant's lobby and took out the envelope that Gumshoe had given him. Along with the markings of where the fingerprints and hair were, and the room the sniper was in, Gumshoe managed to slip in some photos of Suzie's crime scene.

As Phoenix was sorting through the evidence, he heard the entrance to the room open, revealing a very tired Edgeworth. "I figured you'd be here earlier Wright."

"Edgeworth…you look terrible."

"Tell me something I don't know Wright. How prepared are you going into the trial?"

"Honestly, not as prepared as I would have liked. I have no idea what the two witnesses will say, no idea what the security footage shows, and all I have are hunches."

"So in other words, a standard trial for you."

Phoenix smirked. "Pretty much."

Edgeworth sat down next to Phoenix. "Well, I can say that Ms. Lawson spent most of the night coming up with a case against Ema. I only know a few details, but per current laws, I cannot divulge any of the information."

"I know, but still…I just hoped that maybe this wouldn't be a standard trial. That maybe, I could be the one on the offensive and prove Ema's innocence quickly and decisively."

"Is that why no one else but you is here?"

"I don't want any of them taking the blame if I fail. I'm leaving them out of this to keep them having a clean conscience."

"Wright, out of all the trials we've faced, out of all the hardships you faced in trials, not once have I seen you this way. You always bluffed your way to victory. You always found a crack where people only saw a stone wall. I know you. You're better than this. You're the only attorney out there that can prove Ema's innocence. I have faith you will, as I'm sure Maya and the others do too. You don't need to go through this alone."

Phoenix took a deep breath. "Thanks…Edgeworth."

Theodora Lawson was putting on the finishing touches of her makeup at her place. Looking at her face in the mirror, satisfied, she walked to her briefcase laying on the bed and put the necessary papers and files in it. _Time to remove another corrupt officer from the force._

As the hours passed, Phoenix tried to prepare as much as he could. As he was about to finish, he heard the door open, showing Ema getting escorted into the room. "Mr. Wright…g-good morning!"

Phoenix smiled as he saw Ema trying to show enthusiasm. "Good morning Ema. Did you sleep well last night?"

"No, not really. The bed is waaay to lumpy for my tastes, so you have to prove me innocent! Save me from the life of lumpy beds!"

Phoenix started laughing. "Alright. I'll do it!"

The bailiff opened to door to the courtroom. "Mr. Wright, the trial is about to begin."

Phoenix sighed and looked at his phone. He saw the call to the office, telling Athena to get down to the courthouse and help him with the trial, in his call history. _She's either still sleeping or she's still too shaken to come here…_

Phoenix nodded to the bailiff and walked into the courtroom. "Let's do this!"

"Athena! You up?!"

Athena groggily lifted her head from the soft pillow. She managed to mumble a, "Not really…" before collapsing her head back into the pillow. Pearl opened the door to the room Athena was staying at. "Time to get up Athena! Mr. Nick needs you!"

Athena lifted her head again. "What?"

"Mr. Nick is already at the courthouse, and called to ask you to come over and help him. The trial should start any minute! Get going!"

Athena quickly shot up and got herself ready. "Don't worry boss! I'll come and save the day!"

The judge banged the gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Detective Ema Skye."

Phoenix took a deep breath. "The defense is ready, your honor."

Theodora sighed. "Before I say I'm ready, your honor, please remove the title of 'Detective' from Ema Skye's name. I don't want the good profession being linked to a murderer."

"Wh-v-very well."

"The prosecution is now ready, your honor."

"Ms. Lawson, your opening statement please."

"As you're all aware, two murders occurred in this very courthouse, both involving women connected in a case I oversaw. I will prove to the courts that it was no other, than Ema Skye, who could have committed these heinous crimes. So get your gavel ready your honor. You'll be needing it soon."

"I-I'll not pass judgement until both the prosecution and defense have made their arguments, no sooner than that."

Phoenix stared at Theodora. _She seems a bit…tense. Like she's a shark that smelled a drop of blood in the ocean._

"The first piece of evidence I want to present the court, is concerning the first murder of Carol Perkins. Carol was shot and killed in the courthouse, but at the time, no one knew who shot her or where the killer was. Yesterday, an investigation has proven that she was shot once by a L42A1 sniper rifle. It's a sniper rifle that was once in service for the British army, but was replaced. We found the bullet casing in a room in an alley near the courthouse. The bullet was found lodged in Carol's body."

Theodora placed the bullet casing and bullet, in their separate bags, in front of her. The judge nodded. "The court accepts them as evidence."

Phoenix cleared his throat. "A couple questions, Ms. Lawson. You said that the sniper rifle was replaced. How was the killer still able to get their hands on one?"

"A couple of reasonably easy methods. Their still sold to this day, especially online. It's not so crazy to think that the killer got their hands on one."

"Okay, on to my second question. Have you found the actual murder weapon?"

"Sadly, we haven't. We combed the entire room and surrounding area, but we were unable to procure the weapon."

Phoenix sighed. "Alright, thank you for answering."

Theodora nodded. "Now, to move on to my next piece of evidence, fingerprints. In the room the sniper was in, around the windowsill the second victim, Suzie Collmenter, was killed, and even outside in the alley, the defendant's fingerprints were found. To top it off, we also found a few strands of hair belonging to the defendant." Theodora took a paper out of her briefcase. "This piece of evidence shows exactly where the pieces of evidence were found."

The judge took a look at the paper. "The court accepts as evidence."

"I also want to give both the judge and the defense a copy of the autopsies that were performed on both Carol and Suzie." Pulling out two manilla envelopes, Theodora handed them to the bailiff. After Phoenix received his copy, he opened it and read the reports. The first one about Carol coincided with the sniper theory. The second, concerning Suzie, showed that she was killed at point black range.

"I would also like to call in my first witness. I found him shortly after Suzie's murder, frightened and afraid in the alley."

The judge nodded his head. "You may bring in the witness."

"The prosecution calls Brady Randell to the stand!"

A very tall, lanky, and smelly man entered the courtroom. "Name and occupation witness."

"M-m-my name is-is Brady R-Randell. I have n-no job."

Theodora sighed. "Mr. Randell, I told you, you're safe right now. No need to be worried. Please tell us what you saw the first time."

"Y-yes ma'am."

"I was s-sitting near a dumpster, the best one in town, when I s-saw a woman with a g-g-gun appear in a room. After setting u-up, she aimed, and f-fired twice. She then quickly b-backed away."

The crowd began to chatter until the judge banged his gavel. "Order! Order!"

Theodora looked at Brady. "Mr. Randell, would you tell the court who you saw at the window?"

"I-It was that police woman, s-sitting right over there." Brady pointed to Ema.

"Thank you Mr. Randell."

The judge looked at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

"Yes…your honor." _I already see a huge contradiction in his testimony, but I'm short on information. I better hold off on pointing out that contradiction until I can get some more info._


	16. Chapter 16

"I-I was sitting near a dumpster, the best one in town—"

"Hold it! 'best one in town'? What do you mean by that?"

"I've been to several neighborhoods, alleys, and roadways. Out of all the dumpsters, that's the best one."

"OBJECTION!" Theodora looked at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, this trial is about the murder of two women, not a contest of what dumpster is the best."

The judge nodded. "I-indeed she is right."

_Please tell me that the judge wasn't seriously wanting to find out what the best dumpsters are._

"I saw a woman with a g-gun appear in a room—"

"Hold it! Can you describe the woman you saw?"

"S-sure. She was around my height, brown hair…um…had these red glasses if I remember correctly…"

_Well…that sure does sound like Ema…_

"Oh, and I saw a police badge connected to her pants on her waist."

"How were you able to see the police badge?"

"She leaned forward in the window. I could clearly see the badge as it flashed because of the sun."

"Wait, how could you see the badge clearly if it was flashing? Last I checked, it's hard to look at something when the sun is glaring right back at you."

"Urk…w-well…y-you see…"

"Mr. Randell, did you actually see Ema?!"

"OBJECTION! Mr. Wright, I request that you refrain from intimidating my witness. Besides, the explanation is quite simple. After attracting his attention, Ema moved to a position that didn't cause the glare. At this time, the witness was now fixed in that direction, seeing the badge."

_Isn't that just convenient for you huh?_

The judge cleared his throat. "The court accepts the prosecution's explanation. Mr. Wright, please continue with your cross-examination."

"Y-yes, your honor."

"After setting u-up, she aimed, and fired twice—"

"Hold it! 'Setting up?' I assume you mean setting up the sniper rifle?"

"Y-yes. She took a while, but she set it up in a way that it would fire into the courthouse."

_Ema wouldn't know how to use a sniper rifle very well, and I'm sure Ms. Lawson knows it...so that would corroborate the testimony, but why is she not reacting to the obvious contradiction? I'll let it slide for now. I need all the information I can get._

The judge cleared his throat. "Any more questions Mr. Wright?"

"For now, no."

"Very well, please continue."

"She then quickly b-backed away."

"Hold it! Are you sure it was the defendant? After all, she was carrying a sniper rifle. I'm sure it would have been difficult to quickly—"

"OBJECTION! Mr. Wright, Ema Skye was once a detective of our prestigious police force. She's naturally been trained in hand to hand combat and fighting techniques in case she needs to use them. Despite her size, she would very easily be able to move quickly with a sniper rifle."

_Man…she has a planned response for everything I say. Has this trial gone exactly the way she planned it?_

The judge banged his gavel. "This ends the cross-examination of—"

"HOLD IT!" Phoenix slammed on the desk. "Wait, please wait. I have one last question for the witness."

"OBJECTION! Your honor, you have declared the cross-examination over. Any more time wasted with unnecessary questioning is more time it takes for justice to be administered. You of all people should know that."

"Hmmm…Mr. Wright, I will allow you one last question. If nothing comes to light from this question, I will declare this cross-examination over, despite any protests you may have."

"I understand…your honor."

"Good, now, what question will you want to ask the defendant?"

"Mr. Randell, earlier, you told the court that the defendant fired the weapon twice. Am I correct?"

"Yes, I did. She fired the gun twice. I would put my entire honor on the line."

Phoenix shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Randell, but that is a blatant contradiction to facts."

"Huh?"

"Ms. Lawson has clearly proven that they found ONE bullet casing and ONE bullet in the victim…not two."

"W-what?"

"In other words, that second shot…" Phoenix stuck out his arm and pointed at Brady. "Simply didn't exist!"

"Wh…wh...that can't be!"

"OBJECTION! So what if he claims he heard two shots? He clearly saw the defendant!"

"OBJECTION! You clearly don't get it Ms. Lawson."

"Huh?"

"If Mr. Randell was wrong with this part of the testimony, he could be wrong with the other parts, including the parts he saw my client."

"OBJECTION! It's entirely possible that she picked up the second bullet casing and discarded it somewhere else."

"OBJECTION! Then why not pick up the other one? Why only pick up one?"

"She just didn't see it."

"Then explain the lack of the second bullet. If she did indeed fire twice, you would find a second bullet in the courthouse."

"She probably picked it up as well."

"If that were the case, she would be found on the security footage, correct?"

"What?"

"Your honor, at the point the first victim, Ms. Carol, was killed, she was in an area where there was a security camera. I request that the court view the footage."

"Agreed. Bailiff, retrieve the footage from security."

"Hold it!" The court looked at Theodora. "Mr. Wright, are you absolutely sure you want to go this route?"

"Y-yes I am."

Theodora nodded. "Alright then. Just don't blame me when you don't find the answers you seek."

…! _She…she planned this too! She knew I was going to request the security footage! She's planned this all out! That means she must know what's on the footage…this is bad! _

After a few minutes, the bailiff returned and brought the tape to the judge. After setting up a monitor, the bailiff played the footage. The sound of loud talking could be heard. Phoenix spotted Carol and the uniformed officer from earlier. Suddenly, two loud bangs could be heard, along with Carol dropping to the floor.

The court was silent. Phoenix stared at the monitor. "…so there were…two gunshots…"

Theodora nodded her head. "Precisely. Now you get it, Mr. Wright. Your 'contradiction' wasn't a contradiction at all. Mr. Randell's testimony still stands as perfectly accurate."


	17. Chapter 17

"I'm surprised, Mr. Wright. You were near the scene. I'm sure you heard two shots."

Phoenix stared down at his desk, desperately trying to remember. The judge nodded. "It has been proven that there were, indeed, two shots fired."

"Hold it!" Phoenix looked at Theodora. "Yes, I'm willing to concede there were two shots, however, the question remains, what happened to it? Where was the second shot fired and why wasn't there a bullet casing from the second shot? Besides, the original reason I wanted the recording wasn't for the two shots, but for something else entirely. If the second shot was fired at the same spot, the bullet must be somewhere in the courthouse, within view of the camera. Continue the recording please."

The bailiff nodded and continued the footage. People scrambled and ducked for cover. Phoenix saw him kneel at Carol's side before eventually being forced to leave. Only a few officers remained on camera. However, Ema never appeared, and no officer appeared to pick anything up from the ground.

"As you can see from this footage, the bullet wasn't picked up."

Theodora sighed. "It appears so. I didn't see anyone, even in the chaos, bend down to pick something up."

The judge looked shocked. "Then…what happened to it?"

Theodora looked at Phoenix. "Seems like I underestimated you, Mr. Wright. Guess we'll have to extend the trail another day after today's proceedings are over, unless it comes up. However, I wish to move on. Your honor, besides witnessing the first murder, the witness also witnessed the second."

"He-he did?"

"Yes. Witness, please tell the court what you saw for the second murder."

"Y-yes ma'am."

"After the commotion of the first shooting, I was just starting to relax again when the same woman appeared. She was in the alley instead of in the room. I started to panic, thinking I was going to die. However, she opened a window very quietly and hopped in. A couple seconds later, I saw her hop back out, a gun in her hands."

_This is…quite bigger than the first one. There's gotta be more information then hidden in this testimony. There's a few things here I can use._

"Mr. Wright, your cross-examination please."

"Yes sir."

"After the commotion of the first shooting, I was starting to relax again—"

"Hold it! You mean that you weren't scared for very long after the first murder?"

"Not really. After all, the police were swarming the building. I didn't think she would have the courage to come back."

"So some police officers had entered the alley by this time?"

"Yes. They had just left though when that woman came back."

Theodora cleared her throat. "We had some guards posted outside where Suzie was at the time. I assume they left when the guard change happened."

_So they had guards posted outside of the room…better write that down._

"What direction did they go when they left? Right or left?"

"Right."

Phoenix quickly scribbled down the note. "Please continue Mr. Randell."

"The same woman appeared—"

"Hold it! Are you sure it was the same person?"

"Yes. I distinctly remember her. I could never forget that brown hair and red glasses."

_Sounds like Ema again…which does beg the question, where exactly was she when the murders took place? _

"Anything else besides her hair and glasses stuck out?"

"Not really. Actually, if you took away her red glasses, she would just look like a regular person."

…_So he's saying that Ema's not a "regular person"? _

"She was in the alley instead of in the room—"

"Hold it! Were you able to see her leave the building?"

"No I didn't. The entrance was on the other side of the building."

"No emergency exits anywhere?"

"I don't know. I'm not the expert at buildings. If I were, I definitely wouldn't be living on the streets."

_Is it just me or is his attitude starting to change? Like he's been suppressing his personality the entire time, but now it's starting to fail?_

"Your honor, I request that the court receive the designs of the building. It may be necessary for the case."

The judge nodded. "Agreed. Bailiff, make a few phone calls. Try to get the plans for the building."

The bailiff saluted and left the courtroom. "You may continue with the cross-examination Mr. Wright."

"I started to panic, thinking I was going to die—"

"Hold it! Why were you that afraid? Earlier you said you had calmed down."

"The murderer had returned and no guards were around. Wouldn't you be afraid Mr. Lawyer?"

"…I suppose I would."

Theodora stared at Phoenix. "Mr. Wright, please refrain from asking unnecessary questions."

Phoenix clenched his fists. _It appears she's trying to limit what questions I can ask. What's she hiding that she doesn't want me to know?_

"However, she opened a window very quietly and hopped in—"

"Hold it! So the window to the courthouse wasn't locked?"

Theodora shook her head. "Sadly, no. The room the victim was in was designed to help calm a witness down. A breeze entering the room helped calm many a witness. This time…it led to her death."

_Something seems really shady here. She's in one of the only few rooms that allow the windows to open, much less be unlocked, the guards change right before the murder, and yet no one saw the killer? _

"A couple seconds later, I saw her hop back out, a gun in her hands—"

"Hold it! 'A couple seconds?' Are you sure she was in and out that quickly?"

"Yes. It looked like she was in a rush, so she committed the murder quickly."

"Which way did she go afterwards?"

"Outside the alley to the right."

…! "To the right? Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

Phoenix turned to Theodora. "Ms. Lawson, did any of the officers see Ema leave the alley? After all, she turned to the direction of the officers. Surely someone must have seen her."

Theodora stayed silent for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Phoenix. "Sadly, my officers didn't see Ema leave the alley, and we kept a close eye on the alley as well."

_So she couldn't have gone to the left either. The officers would have seen her._

Phoenix slammed on his desk. "Witness!"

"Y-y-yes?"

"Are you even telling the truth? There's no way she could have just casually walked in the alley and left the same way!"

"I-I…I was only saying what the prosecutor told me to say."

…! "What?"

Theodora looked shocked. "What did you say?"

"Yeah, you told me to say she left the alley."

"I told you no such thing!"

Phoenix remained silent as Theodora and Brady started going back and forth, Brady accusing Theodora, and Theodora calling Brady a liar. The judge looked confused. "M-M-Mr. Wright, can you h-help in this situation?"

Phoenix slammed on his desk, silencing the entire courtroom. "Here's how I see it, your honor. Ms. Lawson is a smart woman and prosecutor. She knew her officers were watching the entrance to the alley. There's no way she would tell the witness to say that, knowing that I would pick up on it. If I had to guess, Mr. Randell, you're just trying to use Ms. Lawson as a scapegoat to your perjury."

The courtroom was silent. Brady looked down at the floor. Phoenix cleared his throat. "Mr. Randell, please tell the court, honestly, what you saw."

"I-I-I-"

"I brought in the plans your honor!"

The courtroom turned their attention to the bailiff. "There's two emergency exits, one exiting to the left side to a street and the other to the alley. However…there's a third exit."

"A…third exit?"

"Well, it's not an exit of sorts, it's a connector. There's a passageway that goes under the streets connecting two buildings, the one the killer shot the victim, and an abandoned hotel across the alley."

…! "Wait…so the killer…"

Theodora nodded. "There's a high possibility that the killer made his escape through that passageway."


	18. Chapter 18

The court was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Phoenix cleared his throat. "That passageway…it creates a lot more possibilities than originally thought possible."

Theodora nodded. "Indeed. I had not considered there was a passageway underneath the street."

The bailiff coughed. "Should I send officers immediately your honor?"

"Yes, please do. We need to know if there was anyone connected to the crime that passed through."

"Yes, your honor."

The bailiff immediately left the courtroom. The judge banged on his gavel. "Now, let's continue with the proceedings. With any luck, the investigation team sent to the passageway will find something relevant while we're waiting. Now, where were we?"

Theodora glared at Brady. "We were discussing Mr. Randell's perjury."

The judge nodded. "Oh, th-th-that's right. Um…what happened again?"

Phoenix sighed. "Mr. Randell, did you really see the defendant?"

Brady stared at the ground. "Yes I did."

"What did she do?"

"…"

"Mr. Randell, the court needs to know. What exactly did you see?"

"I saw…the defendant. She…she…"

The judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Randell, I order you to tell the court what you saw, or you will face immediate arrest!"

"She…she was unconscious."

The court was silent. Phoenix stepped forward from behind the desk. "Unconscious?"

"Yes, she was unconscious. I…I don't remember what happened after. I sorta blacked out…"

"You…blacked out?"

"…yes I did."

The judge nodded. "It appears…that several aspects from this trial need to be reviewed. Mr. Randell, even though you told the truth in the end, you will still be charged with—"

"OBJECTION!"

Everyone in the courtroom looked behind Phoenix. Athena walked past the desk. "Witness, there's still discord in your heart. You're not telling the whole truth!"

The court burst into chatter, being silenced by the judge's gavel. "Order! Order! Ms. Cykes…you must be using that machine of yours…"

"I am, your honor, and I request that it be used to cross-examine the witness!"

Theodora quickly nodded. "I will comply with this. Witness, you will tell the court what you saw."

"…alright…"

Phoenix leaned over to Athena. "About time you got here."

"Hey, you didn't wake me up! Not my fault!"

Phoenix smiled and walked behind the desk. Athena activated Widget and looked at the mood matrix. "You may begin witness."

"I was sitting near the dumpster, finally calming down."

_So happiness is appearing quite a bit…I guess I would be too if I were a witness finally starting to get over a murder._

"I saw the defendant appear…"

_Sadness…and shock…wait, why sadness? I can see why you're shocked, and maybe while you're sad, but let's poke a bit here._

"Mr. Randell, the mood matrix shows that you're sad when you saw the defendant."

"Oh…I was?"

"Can you please explain why you were saddened?"

"Isn't it obvious? I saw the defendant again. It would make anyone sad after what happened."

Athena shook her head. "Discord is not going down…"

"Mr. Randell…the TRUTH please."

"…"

The judge banged his gavel. "Witness!"

"…I was sad for her."

"Sad…for her?"

"Yeah…seeing her…what had happened…there's no way you couldn't be sad for her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"…your honor, I request that after this…I'm placed under police protection."

"W-what?! You want police protection?"

"Please…I…need it."

"I'll…decide after you tell the court what you know."

Brady sighed and turned to Phoenix. "I was sad for her…because…she was being framed, and there was nothing I could do to help her."

…! "She was…being framed?"

Athena chimed in. "Nothing you could do to help her?"

"Yes…you see…she was…being carried over a person's shoulder."

"A person's…shoulder?"

"Where did that person appear?"

"To my left. There's a turn in the alley from where I was that connects to the street. He suddenly appeared carrying the woman on his shoulder."

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"No…I didn't. He was wearing a zentai…one of those full body suits."

"How do you know it was a he?"

"He…threatened me. He told me that if I told the police what happened, he'd find me and kill me."

The courtroom was silent. Phoenix glanced towards Athena, who nodded. "His discord has gone down considerably…but not completely."

"That means he's still hiding something?"

"Yes."

Phoenix cleared his throat. "Mr. Randell, please tell the truth…was it the defendant who shot the sniper rifle?"

"…..no. It was a female…but it wasn't the defendant."

…! "So wait….there's two murderers?"

"Yes…there's two of them. Although she never threatened me, I had a feeling that the man in the suit was also referring to her when he said not to tell the police. That's why I lied to the court…I didn't want to be murdered by them."

"Can you tell me what happened afterwards? What the man did?"

"He…set the woman down, opened the window, and entered the room. After a few minutes, he came back out, picked her up, and ran back down the alley."

_There's no way any of the officers would have spotted him then._

Theodora walked in front of her desk. "It would appear that the passageway is actually the key to the whole case. It's how both the murderers got away."

The judge nodded. "It would appear so. It seems that the trial then is resolved."

Theodora sighed and nodded. "Though I want to continue the trial to find the truth, the purpose of the trial has reached its conclusion. The prosecution rests its case, your honor."

Phoenix nodded. "The defense rests, your honor."

The judge nodded. "Ema Skye, please take the stand."

Ema walked up to the stand as Brady walked away. "Ms. Skye, I'm sure this was a tumultuous time for you, but rest assured, it's over. The court finds the defendant, Ema Sky, not guilty!"

The courtroom burst into clapping and cheering. "That is all, court is adjourned!"

Phoenix and Athena left the courtroom and into the defendant's lobby. Ema soon followed. "Mr. Wright…you did it! You did it!"

Ema ran up to and hugged Phoenix. Phoenix smiled and hugged her back. "Just doing my job."

Ema broke the hug. "Still…I wonder what happened…"

Phoenix nodded. "Do you even remember being unconscious?"

"I remember waking up in the courthouse…but…no, I don't remember blacking out. To think that…someone was trying to frame me…"

Athena looked at Phoenix. "That reminds me, why didn't you request the trial be continued? The truth still hadn't been found."

"There was nothing left to do. From what I could tell, Ms. Lawson only had one witness, and we got all we could out of him. The investigation at the passageway still hadn't reported anything, so the only course left to take was to end the trial. Believe me, I want to know what happened, but we'll have to wait."

Athena sighed. "Yeah…you're right."

Phoenix turned to Ema. "Are you going to be reinstated into the police force?"

"Yes she is."

Phoenix looked over Ema to see Theodora walking up to them. "She's officially being offered full reinstatement. Do you accept, Ms. Skye?"

"I accept!"

"Good. Welcome back Detective Ema Skye."

Phoenix glared at Athena. "Now you're willing to call her a detective?"

"You can't blame me. From my point of view, she was guilty, and being an officer guilty of murder doesn't sit well with me. However, she's been proven to be innocent, so she's earned the right to be called a detective again."

Phoenix sighed. "Well…at least you'll admit that. That reminds me, is Mr. Randell going to get the police protection he requested?"

"Yes, though not the way he envisioned. Since he has no official residence, we're putting him under protective custody. He should be safe that way."

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, he should. Anyways, we should get going. Ema, want to come to the office with us? I'm sure Maya would be thrilled to see you."

Ema saluted Phoenix. "I'll be glad to! Prosecutor Lawson, I'll report back to the force tomorrow."

Theodora nodded. "I look forward to it. Enjoy the rest of the day."

Theodora walked away. Phoenix hailed a cab, and they started their journey back to the office.

Meanwhile, Randy Reed was standing in front of Stephen. "And so Ema is now free."

Stephen sighed. "I see. I was hoping Phoenix Wright would hit a bump in his career and not be able to figure it out."

"He probably wouldn't have if it weren't for the discovery of the passageway."

"Indeed, but, what's done is done. We need to continue with the plan. Have all the preparations been made?"

"Almost. I still have to do a couple more things, and tie up a loose end."

"That witness?"

"Yes. I heard that he's being placed in protective custody, but that won't stop me."

"Yes. I trust your skills. Finish your preparations and tie up the loose end. Report back to me when you're finished."

Randy nodded and left. Stephen sat in a chair and sighed. "You really are something Phoenix…"


	19. Chapter 19

Athena slammed the door to the Wright Anything Agency open. "We're back!"

Apollo looked up from a bowl of noodles he was eating. "Ah, welcome back. How did the trial—"

Ema walked into the building. "Ah, Apollo. Good to see you again."

Apollo stood up. "Glad to see that you were proven innocent! Who did it?"

Phoenix, closing the door, sighed. "We don't know. There was no way to extend the trial, and the judge had already decided that Ema was innocent. We just don't know who killed them…"

Apollo nodded. "Understandable. At least Ema is innocent however."

Phoenix looked around the office. "Where's Maya, Pearls, and Trucy?"

"Out. Said they needed a 'girl's day hitting the town.' I'm scared to think what they might be doing."

Athena let out a loud sigh. "I always seem to miss out when they all go out."

Widget spoke up as well. "I want to go with them!"

Phoenix laughed. "Hey, if it weren't for you, we would still be in the trial. Who knows what would have happened had the trial continued the way it was going."

"Yeah…that's true…but…I still want to go with them at some point."

Widget again chimed in. "No fair!"

Phoenix chuckled again and turned to Apollo. "So, has our new employee come in yet?"

"Yes, he arrived while you were in trial and, as promised, actually organized your files. For once, your office looks pretty neat."

"How long did he stay for?"

"Five hours? After he finished, I told him he could go home since there was nothing else to do and you weren't back yet."

Phoenix nodded. "Well, at least he's doing his job. I was worried that since he was hired so quickly, he may not have been as great of a worker as he made himself to appear."

Apollo slurped up some noodles. "Don't worry. He worked hard the entire time he was here."

Phoenix set his briefcase down on the table and sat down at the table. "Athena, you can do whatever you want for the rest of the day. I probably won't have any more work for you until tomorrow."

"Yippee!"

Widget chimed in. "Freedom!"

Athena dashed to the TV and turned it on, with Ema following closely behind her. "How did I know that would be the first place she would run to?"

Apollo sighed. "Intuition I guess. Besides, she has a one track mind sometimes."

Phoenix smiled fiendishly. "Seems like you've been keeping an eye on her then huh? I didn't know she was your type."

Apollo choked on some noodles he was eating, coughing loudly.

Athena heard the coughs and yelled from the TV, "You okay Apollo?"

After a few more coughs, Apollo managed to squeak out that he was fine. Several coughs later, Apollo managed to control himself. "Boss!"

Phoenix was laughing pretty hard at this point. "Seems like I was right from that reaction."

Apollo sighed angrily. "Me coughing on noodles does NOT mean you're right."

"Oh really? So you're saying you have absolutely NO interest in her?"

"I do not."

"Not even if a dashing young man swooped in the office and stole her heart and started dating him?"

Apollo looked at his noodles and sighed. "I'm telling you, there's nothing between us!"

Phoenix starting laughing again. "Keep raising your voice and Athena might hear you."

Apollo started turning red and looked towards the direction of the living room. "She better not have heard that…"

"Why would you be scared if she did? After all, you DID say you had NO interest in her."

Apollo sighed and ate some more noodles. "There's just no winning with you is there?"

"Oh? Is this an admission of defeat? That you have feelings for her?"

"Just drop it okay?"

"Drop what?"

Apollo nearly jumped out of his seat as Athena walked into the dining room. "What were you talking about?"

Phoenix smiled. "We were talking about—"

"BOSS!"

Athena looked confused as Apollo tried to reach across the table and cover Phoenix's mouth.

Much to Apollo's relief, the door to the entrance of the building opened, revealing Maya, Trucy, and Pearl.

Maya was carrying several bags. "We're back!"

Phoenix stood up when they entered. "You guys sure bought a lot."

Maya looked at Phoenix and nodded. "Yes we did! W-what happened to Ema? Was she—"

"Maya!"

Maya looked to the living room and saw Ema walking towards her. "Ema!"

Maya quickly placed the bags on the table and ran to Ema, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're here! Were you proven innocent then?!"

Ema nodded. "I was. Phoenix helped save me, along with Athena. If it weren't for them, I probably would have been declared guilty almost on the spot."

Ema started telling Maya how the trial played out as Trucy and Pearl started taking the items out of the bag. As Ema finished telling them about the trial, Maya nodded. "That's our Nick and Athena for you!"

Maya walked over to Phoenix and gave him a peck on the cheek. Phoenix glanced at the bags, which were quickly being emptied. "What did you guys get?"

"Oh…just girl things. After all, it was a GIRL'S day out on the town."

Phoenix chuckled. "Figured I wouldn't get a straight answer."

Phoenix sat down again as Apollo finished up his noodles. Phoenix chuckled as he had to get one last tease in. "Just remember Apollo, that topic of discussion hasn't ended. I'll be questioning you again about how you—"

"No need to keep on speaking. I get it..."

Apollo was beet red as he walked away from the table and cleaned his dishes. Phoenix continued with a slight chuckle. "Suit yourself."

Meanwhile, Randy was outside of the police station, sitting in a black van. Randy smiled as he watched Brady be quickly ushered into the building. _Looks like the target has entered the building. Now, it's time for us to begin our little game of cat and mouse. Sorry Brady, nothing personal against you._


End file.
